


we'll meet at the horizon

by EzzyDean



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzzyDean/pseuds/EzzyDean
Summary: It starts with a group chat message about his new team trainer.  Well it starts with the appearance of said trainer.  Well actually it starts with the choice to join a volleyball team in university.  But then that means it started with the choice to keep playing at Karasuno.Who is Kei kidding?  It started when he met Hinata Shouyou.(HinaTsukki, slow burn, pining, friendship, group chats, growing up, and going home)
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shouyou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 19
Kudos: 186
Collections: seigrid's recommended fics





	1. iwaizumi hajime can suck a dick

**Author's Note:**

> millions and millions of thanks to catt and cal
> 
> you guys rock
> 
> love you to bits

Kei stretches idly as he waits for practice to start. They’re already a few weeks into this year’s season but today they’re apparently waiting for their new team trainer. Or assistant coach. Or something. He wasn’t entirely listening to the announcement from the captain yesterday. He’d already been thinking about his dinner and wondering if Tadashi was planning on coming over this weekend. Or was he supposed to be visiting Tadashi? The last few months have been kind of a blur.

He’s not even really all that sure what happened to their old trainer. Coach. Assistant coach? Whatever.

Some days he’s not really all that sure why he’s even here anymore. Sure he enjoys the game. Enjoys the challenge. But, at the end of the day, why is he here? He’s not some fanatic like some former teammates of his.

He’s actually kind of thankful that those days are pretty rare. Most of the time he just accepts the fact that he’s decent at volleyball and he enjoys it. It’s not like he’ll be playing forever or anything. Not if he has anything to say about it.

His teammates are milling about. Some of them are getting antsy. Some of them look ready to fall asleep where they stand. Kei? Kei’s just bored now. It’s been almost twenty minutes since he got here and, honestly, if they don’t start doing something soon he’s going to go to the bench, stretch out on it, and refuse to move for at least a half an hour.

“What the hell is the hold up?” He glances over at the growled question. Kyoutani is scowling. Which isn’t that much of a surprise; Kyoutani scowls a lot. Kei’s known him for what? Something like six years? Maybe more? Regardless, most of the time he’s known Kyoutani, Kyoutani has been scowling.

“We’re waiting for the new trainer. He’s still talking with Coach.” Kei nods to show he heard but doesn’t bother actually responding. Not just because it’s one of the newer members. Mostly just because he doesn’t feel like bothering.

“Well if they don’t hurry up I’m gonna grab Yoshikawa and start practicing receives. I don’t care.” The setter in question startles a little but when Kyoutani turns to look at him he simply shrugs. Yoshikawa wasn’t the absolute volleyball manic that Kageyama had been but he never really says no to setting for someone. Which is just as exhausting in it’s own way.

Kei grunts quietly and stretches his hands above his head. The bench is looking more and more tempting. “I don’t really care one way or the other,” he says, “but if they think some fresh faced trainer is going to come in and tell us what to do they’re idiots.”

“Fresh faced?” The new member asks. He really should learn the names of the people who just started. Maybe. Not that it matters much. This is going to be his last season on the team anyway, so long as his plans all go right.

Kei sighs but decides to explain. Not like anything else is happening. “One: they never told us his name therefore he’s not a known name. Two: we’re not exactly Division 1, top tier, players so they wouldn’t waste the resources on a big name trainer. Three: Coach said something about him having volleyball experience but being new to training.” The last point he just remembered a second ago. See he does listen sometimes. “So. Put it all together and we get: fresh faced trainer who probably played benchwarmer for a halfway decent team in high school.”

Kyoutani huffs and walks away, knocking his elbow against Yoshikawa’s arm on the way in his normal aggressive form of an invitation. Yoshikawa hums and follows. Kei watches them and, for a moment, debates seeing if one of the others want to join them for a quick 2-on-2 but then decides he’s not feeling that today. Some of the others start picking up volleyballs and passing them back and forth. Some of them just keep stretching. Kei is sidling towards the bench, ready to just take that nap, when the gym doors open and their trainer walks in.

He’s a vaguely familiar shadow in the light of the doorway. Kei can’t make out any actual features until the doors shut and block out the sun.

“Shit,” Kei sighs. It’s someone he knows. Someone who knows him, at least a little bit. Someone he’s played against more than once. Someone he won’t be able to slack off around nearly as much as he’s been able to so far.

Okay so slack off might not be the right way to say it. He doesn’t necessarily slack off. But he doesn’t necessarily go one hundred percent every practice and game. He likes to conserve his energy until he needs to use it in a pinch. A little less effort in general and then he can ramp it up at crunch time.

At least that’s what he tells himself but as Iwaizumi Hajime walks in and looks over the players he already knows his days of ‘less effort’ are numbered.

—

“Tsukishima.”

Kei takes a deep breath and turns to give Iwaizumi as polite of a look as he can. His irritation is probably not masked very well but he’s tired. And he doesn’t really care. He’s really only being polite because his brain has placed Iwaizumi into the box of ‘senpai’ and ‘elder’ and someone he should show at least a modicum of respect to like Daichi or Suga. Even Kyoutani shows Iwaizumi respect and if that wild beast can do that it’s the least Kei can do.

“Yes, Iwaizumi-san?”

Iwaizumi raises his brows at Kei’s overly polite tone.

“Stay behind a few minutes after practice please.”

Kei nods his head tersely and turns back to the game. The coldness in the pit of his stomach reminds him of the dread he felt the rare times he was called out by a teacher back in high school. He’s an asshole. He picks at people for fun. But he doesn’t necessarily like confrontation.

And he’s pretty sure this is going to be a confrontation.

The rest of practice flows by like it usually does. Kei blocks a few of Kyoutani’s spikes. He misses a few of them. Yoshikawa sets for him and he jumps for it. Not every spike is neat but none of them are all that sloppy. Kyoutani gives him a look from time to time but he ignores it.

He waits for Iwaizumi after practice. Kyoutani is across the gym stuck on ball retrieval duty because he just had to mouth off to Coach about… well Kei wasn’t listening. It doesn’t matter.

Iwaizumi says goodbye to whoever he had been talking to by the door and wanders towards Kei. He grabs Kei’s water bottle as he passes the bench and Kei takes it from him with raised brows.

“Thank you,” he says politely.

“You’re welcome.”

Kei takes a few drinks and tries not to fidget as Iwaizumi watches Kyoutani across the gym.

“So,” he finally says when he can’t stand it anymore. He’s not sure if he’s irritated that Iwaizumi asked him to stay, that Iwaizumi isn’t paying attention to him, or that Iwaizumi is making him wait longer than necessary.

Iwaizumi turns and gives him a smile that sends a shiver down his spine. Not fear, exactly. But definitely an instinct to get the hell away. Which he can’t do right now.

“So. I know you’re not giving this your all. This may not be a Division 1 team but I don’t have time to mess around with players who aren’t going to put effort in.”

Kei freezes completely for a second and then huffs. He wouldn’t go so far as to call it a growl but Iwaizumi raises his brows at the noise. Challenging Kei to talk back or something.

“Your point?” he asks tersely.

“My point is that you’re going to give practice your all. Every time. Unless you have a legitimate reason not to in which case you will let me know ahead of time or as soon as you realize.”

“The hell?” Kyoutani is a few steps away from them. He gives the cart he’s been pushing one last shove and Kei watches it roll smoothly into the supply closet. Which is actually pretty impressive; that cart’s kind of heavy. “What does he mean you’re not giving it your all? What the hell Tsukishima?”

Great. Now not only is Iwaizumi on his case Kyoutani is going to be on it too. He gives Iwaizumi an irritated look before turning to Kyoutani.

“You played against me more than once, Kyoutani. I know you watched matches I played in too. I think you know what he’s saying about my effort levels. You’re an idiot but not that much of one.”

Kyoutani snarls in his direction. “Bold of you to assume I paid even a little attention to you, Tsukishima. I only paid attention to the important parts of the games.”

Kei narrows his eyes at Kyoutani and Kyoutani glares at him. Iwaizumi is apparently just content to stand there and let them continue forever or something but Kei has places to be. He picks up the volleyball at his feet, the last one to put away, and throws it as far as he can across the gym.

“Hey. Go fetch.”

Kyoutani instinctively takes a few steps after the ball before spinning on his heel to glare at Kei some more.

Iwaizumi finally steps in between them and looks at them both sternly. “You two will _not_ make me regret taking this job.”

—

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 3 members online]

ProSalt: I have an announcement.

ProSalt: Iwaizumi Hajime can suck a dick

Sassahi: Tsukishima!

ProSalt: What?

Sassahi: That seems a little harsh. What did he do to you?

Yams: Wait.

Yams: Wait!

Yams: Is he your new trainer? The ‘no doubt former benchwarmer from a shit team’?

ProSalt: Shut up Yamaguchi.

Yams: Sorry Tsukki.

Yams: But really. Is he?

ProSalt: He’s been here three days.

ProSalt: And I can without a doubt say that Iwaizumi Hajime is a giant pain in my ass.

Yams: I wish he were a pain in my ass.

ProSalt: Ugh. Why are you this way?

Yams: What? He’s cute.

ProSalt: You know. One would think that of all the people. All the teams. My KARASUNO teammates would understand my disdain of Iwaizumi Hajime.

Tobio: Iwaizumi-san? No.

Tobio: Oikawa on the other hand…

Tobio: Yes. Oikawa is a duck.

Tobio: Dick.

Tobio: Duck dick.

Yams: ANYWAYS

Yams: Does he still have those biceps? Man those biceps…

ProSalt: I am not answering you. I am not going to be a part of your perverted fantasies.

SugaSweet: Tsukishima.

ProSalt: Sugawara-san?

SugaSweet: Answer Yamaguchi’s question.

ProSalt: …

ProSalt: I will tell him that you all want in his pants. Every last one of you. I will show him the chats. I will show him the ‘Iwaizumi Hajime starred in my wet dreams’ chat log.

SunshineIncarnate: He’s already seen it.

Kei stares at his phone for a moment and then slowly puts it face down on the counter. He didn’t just read any of that. His former teammates, his supposed volleyball family, are one hundred percent supportive. They agree that Iwaizumi can suck a dick. And not in the sexual way. Just in a ‘go choke on life’ way.

He is too tired for this. That’s it. Too tired from giving his all at practice today. It’s been awhile since he’s done that. And it’s all Iwaizumi’s fault. Iwaizumi and Kyoutani. Because of course Kyoutani spent all of practice egging him on.

He hasn’t had someone get under his skin that much since back at Karasuno with Hinata and Kageyama.

He’s not really a violent person. But he could have decked Kyoutani today. Happily. Maybe Iwaizumi too.

He manages to spend maybe five minutes working on his application for the museum he wants to work at after he graduates before the siren call of the group chat calls him back and he grabs his phone and scrolls through what he’s missed. Not much really. A lot of Hinata being a dumbass, like usual.

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 5 members online]

ProSalt: Are we just going to gloss over the fact that apparently Hinata has shown Iwaizumi our chats?

He feels like it’s an important point. He needs to know if Hinata is suddenly going to be swooping in bothering him because of some random tie he has with Iwaizumi. He’s already expecting some bizarre moment where Iwaizumi pulls strings and they wind up with freaking Kageyama or Oikawa or someone stopping by. Some Division 1 pro player pep talk or something.

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 7 members online]

Daichi: Who said it was Hinata?

ProSalt: What. The hell?

Daichi: Just saying. It might not have been Hinata who showed him. Hinata just knows that Iwaizumi was shown by someone.

ProSalt: That’s it. I hate this family. I’m out.

SugaSweet: No you’re not.

Yacchan: Stop being a dummy Tsukishima.

Yacchan: You just don’t want to admit to being part of the club.

ProSalt: No I admitted to being part of the VBC awhile ago.

Yacchan: Stop being a dumb dick.

Yacchan: It isn’t a good look for you Tsukishima.

SunshineIncarnate: Oooooooh you made Yacchan swear.

SunshineIncarnate: You’re in troooooouble!

He will not admit, not on threat of death and dismemberment, to those people that he might have, maybe, had thoughts about Iwaizumi’s biceps. Other people? Yeah he might admit it to them. But not those vultures. But okay he might have thought about those biceps. He was only human. He also thought about Kuroo’s thighs and Tadashi’s freckles and Yachi’s eyes and Kiyoko’s hair and other people’s other features.

He is, as Kindaichi so kindly observed a few years ago, a bisexual disaster. He’s come to accept it for the most part.

It’s true after all.


	2. neighborhood scream tues and thurs at 10

Three and a half weeks of grueling practices and Kei is ready to scream. Well it’s not just the practices. But it’s mostly the practices. He’s seriously considered walking outside late at night and just… screaming into the darkness. It sounds like it would be cathartic. And it beats going to jail for strangling Coach. Or his trainer. Or his teammates. Or his former teammates.

He hates them sometimes.

Like pretty much all of the last three weeks.

Because the ‘Iwaizumi Hajime starred in my wet dreams’ chat hadn’t been bad enough however many years ago it was. Oh no. Now there’s a new topic. Still involving Iwaizumi, of course. Because his former teammates can’t fixate on someone he doesn’t have to see nearly every day and look in the eye and pretend he didn’t read the phrase ‘Iwaizumi could choke me with his biceps while he read a book and I would love every moment of it’ only hours before.

Granted that was pretty tame compared to the wet dreams chat. But still.

Coach calls break and Kei barely attempts to finish the block he had just leapt for. But he does. Mostly because Iwaizumi is watching. He flashes Iwaizumi a tight smile — look I’m playing by the rules — and stretches his arms above his head as he heads for his water bottle and phone. Maybe if he’s lucky he can fake an important message and get out of practice for the rest of the day. He’s exhausted but he’s not sure if Iwaizumi will accept that as a legitimate reason to not give his all or not.

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 4 members online]

SunshineIncarnate: So…. what? Are you guys having some sort of weird competition?

SunshineIncarnate: Cause I dunno if I want a part of it or not.

Daichi: Yeah.

Daichi: Apparently we’re having a competition of who can get into Iwaizumi’s pants first.

SugaSweet: Hmmm yeah.

SugaSweet: A good competition

SugaSweet: Nice rewards

SunshineIncarnate: Rewards?

SugaSweet: Getting in Iwaizumi’s pants Hinata.

SunshineIncarnate: Ah. I think I’ll pass this one.

SunshineIncarnate: Sorry.

Sassahi: Ah that’s okay Hinata.

Sassahi: You never have to go after anyone you don’t want to.

SunshineIncarnate: You’re the best Asahi!

Kei huffs quietly. Hinata has always had a fascination with Asahi. Has since the day he spotted him apparently. He’s still not sure if it’s a hero worship thing or something else. Not that he cares much.

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 4 members online]

Sassahi: Thank you.

Sassahi: Besides.

Sassahi: It wouldn’t have been much of a competition anyway.

SugaSweet: Oh? Do tell.

Sassahi: Yeah. I won.

SugaSweet: EXCUSE ME?

Sassahi: Yep. Like three years ago.

Sassahi sent an image.

Kei chokes on his drink of water, sputtering and spraying his phone screen when the photo loads. Asahi is looking at the camera with someone attached to his throat. Someone who Kei immediately recognizes as Iwaizumi Hajime even with flushed cheeks and sweat on his brow. Iwaizumi Hajime who appears to be sucking one hell of a hickey onto Asahi’s neck.

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 4 members online]

SunshineIncarnate: ASAHI!!!!

SunshineIncarnate: NICE KILL!

Kei looks over at Iwaizumi just a few steps away as he wipes his phone screen off on his shorts. Then he looks down at the picture again. And back to Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi doesn’t seem to be paying attention to Kei even though he’s still trying to clear his throat of the water lodged in it.

He clears it one last time.

“Asahi?” he says, voice maybe raising a little in incredulity. Maybe a touch louder than needed.

The clipboard in Iwaizumi’s hand clatters to the ground and when Kei glances over Iwaizumi’s face is doing some really impressive expressions.

[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 5 members online]

ProSalt: Holy. Shit.

ProSalt: I said Asahi’s name. Just his name out loud. Not even TO anyone. And Iwaizumi just

ProSalt: just dropped all the shit he was holding

Sassahi: Sounds about right.

Sassahi: Nice to know that he remembers me.

Iwaizumi picks up his clipboard and waves away the player he’s with. Mizushima glances from Iwaizumi to Kei and then shrugs and walks away. Kei likes Mizushima. He stays out of people’s business. He does his best to rein in Yoshikawa and some of the newer members of the team. Iwaizumi meets Kei’s eyes. Kei doesn’t look away.

He doesn’t know why he doesn’t look away. He usually has a better sense of self-preservation than this. Iwaizumi doesn’t look ready to kill him. But Kei can’t quite read the look in his eyes as Iwaizumi walks towards him.

“Tsukishima.”

“Iwaizumi.”

They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity until Coach calls an end to break time and Iwaizumi strolls away like nothing had happened. Like Kei hadn’t just had his entire life view some how thrown into chaos. Coach yells at him and Kei snaps out of his daze, jogging back to his spot on the court.

“What the hell was that?” Kyoutani hisses from beside him.

He doesn’t say a word. The satisfaction of Kyoutani’s irritation at his silence heavily outweighs any satisfaction he might have gotten from sharing Iwaizumi’s apparent relations with Asahi.

—

He’s starting to regret not saying anything a week later when most of the chat has turned into talk of Iwaizumi and Asahi’s time with him and why they’re not actually dating and Iwaizumi’s many muscles and way more than he ever wanted to know about it all.

He still wants to scream.

He hasn’t slept well all week and he wishes he could blame the chat on that. But he knows it’s the fact that he submitted his application and, honestly, if he doesn’t get the job he’s really not sure what he’s going to do when he graduates. Sure he could just look around, get some temporary thing until he finds another museum. But he doesn’t want another museum.

He doesn’t want to sit quietly and watch his life flicker by while he just waits for something better to fall into his lap. He’s tired of that. Karasuno beat that waiting idly for life to pass him by thing out of him.

He wants this job.

His phone buzzes and he doesn’t even look at it before he shoves it into his bag. He knows it’s just another ramble about some aspect or another of Iwaizumi. If it’s, somehow, not that then it will be Tadashi asking about the job. Or Kuroo or Keiji asking about how his classes are going. Or somebody else wanting details about his life that he’s just too tired to think about right now.

Kei stalks into the gym and spots the bane of his existence — and for once he’s not referring to Hinata or Kageyama or Kuroo — leaning against the far wall. Iwaizumi is absorbed in whatever notes he’s flipping through so he doesn’t pay much attention as Kei approaches him. Kei takes the time to study Iwaizumi.

He can understand the aesthetic appeal. Iwaizumi paints a nice picture in his black slacks and the sleeves of his polo shirt stretch nicely over his biceps. His hair is a spiky mess but in an almost stylish way. Not Kuroo’s just rolled out of bed bullshit. His nose is a little crooked like maybe he got hit in the face with a volleyball one too many times but it doesn’t take away from his overall appeal. Kei knows Iwaizumi is smart, quick witted, and quietly talented. He has nice eyes and a nice smile.

But he still just doesn’t get it. Not this level of obsession the others seem to have with the man.

Iwaizumi finally looks up and spots Kei.

“Something on your mind Tsukishima?” he asks after he’s done a cursory once over of Kei.

Oh yeah and he’s so fucking genuinely kind and considerate and serious about his job that it makes Kei want to scream.

“Please if you value my sanity. Or hell. Even just my worth as a player. Please talk to Asahi.”

Iwaizumi tilts his head and purses his lips in thought in a move that he clearly picked up from spending too much time around Oikawa.

“What was that? You want to do laps instead of practice? I’ll approve of it today.”

Kei blinks stupidly at Iwaizumi.

“What?”

“You can do laps today instead of a normal practice. I was planning on starting to split up practices into some more specialized routines next week but we can start with a few today. I’ll pull a few other people into some things and the rest of the team can do some practice matches with each other. Don’t forget to stretch well before and after.”

“You’re serious.” It’s not even a question.

Iwaizumi smiles. “Entirely.”

—

[ **Azumane Asahi** \- online]

ProSalt: Asahi.

Sassahi: Hey Tsukishima.

ProSalt: CALL HIM.

Sassahi: Noya? I did. Yesterday.

Sassahi: He’s in Greece.

Sassahi: At least he was yesterday. Who knows where he’s at today.

ProSalt: Not. Nishinoya.

Sassahi: Tanaka? It’s a little late now.

Sassahi: I don’t want to interrupt anything. Kiyoko is kind of scary sometimes.

ProSalt: You know I’m not talking about him either.

ProSalt: You’re being deliberately obtuse.

Sassahi: No need for name calling Tsukishima.

ProSalt: It’s not name calling. It’s a very accurate description.

Sassahi sent an image

ProSalt: Did you

ProSalt: Did you seriously just send me a picture of you pouting

Sassahi: Yes.

—

Kei tacks his last flyer to the bulletin board in his apartment complex. There’s about fifteen other ones spread out through the neighborhood.

  
  


**NEIGHBORHOOD SCREAM**

**EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY AT 10PM** **  
****FEEL FREE TO JOIN IN**

  
  


By the second Thursday he hears five other voices join his. It’s surprisingly cathartic. 

—

  
  


“You gonna answer that or what?” Kei looks over at Kyoutani. “Or at least silence it. That ringtone is annoying.” Of course it’s annoying. The person that’s calling is annoying. That’s why he chose that ringtone. “Seriously,” Kyoutani growls. “Silence it. Answer it. Or I’ll do it for you.”

Kei rolls his eyes at the threat but he grabs his phone. He knows that if he doesn’t answer it then it’ll just wind up being a giant pain in the ass in the end.

“Yes?”

“Hey Tsukishima!”

“Hello.”

“Grumpy as always I see.”

“I have to be in the gym in five minutes. Tick tock.”

Bright laughter fills his ear. “Yeah yeah I get it. No time to talk. There never is.”

“You know I don’t like talking on the phone that much.” He can hear Kyoutani rustling around behind him and he rolls his eyes again. There’s no reason for Kyoutani to still be in here. Normally he’s changed and into the gym in a manner of minutes. Clearly he just wants to eavesdrop. “So hurry it up.”

“Alright alright. Bokuto wants to know if you want to go out tonight with me and him and Kuroo.”

Kei can’t help the scoff that slips out. “I do not want to be part of their weird ass mating ritual or whatever they’re doing.”

“Come on. Don’t leave me to be the third wheel on their date. Come with.”

“You can just say no, you know.”

“Yeah but I told Bokuto no last week and now he’s pulling out the sad face and I kinda wanna go but I just don’t want to go alone in case they start making out or something. That’s awkward to watch.”

“Why would you watch them making out? Freak.”

“Shut up Tsukishima! Are you gonna come with me or not?” He wants to just say no. Any one of these three people are exhausting on their own. Put all three together and he needs a week just to recover from them. 

Kyoutani tosses something at the back of his head and he turns to glare at him. Kyoutani nods at the door and pointedly looks at the clock. 

“Shit. I have to go. Call me back after practice and I’ll decide then.”

“Okay!”

He ends the call and tosses his phone into his locker with a sigh.

“Got a hot date tonight?” Kyoutani elbows him as they make their way to the gym.

  
  


He doesn’t end up going with them. He’s too exhausted after Coach runs them ragged at practice.

He does, however, answer when his phone rings that night and talks to Hinata until his battery dies.


	3. well fuck

Kei rolls over and buries his face in his pillow. He’s pretty sure it’s time to just admit it. Even if it is just muffled into his pillow.

“I have feelings for Hinata.”

Huh. Maybe that wasn’t actually so bad.

“I like Hinata.”

Okay that feels more awkward.

“I want to date Hinata.”

Oh. Ugh. No. That was. That was too much.

Why? Why did it have to be Hinata? Why does it still have to be Hinata? All through high school he could barely stand the little sunshiny shit. Too much brightness and good cheer and all that. Then they had graduated and Hinata had gone to Brazil and suddenly there was a warmth missing in his life that he hadn’t even realized was there in the first place.

Then they had started talking. 

First it was just stupid messages and pictures. Sunsets and tourist shit. The kinds of stuff you send to your friends to let them know you’re still alive. Then late one night Kei hadn’t been able to sleep and, for some reason, he had called Hinata. He figured with Hinata being twelve hours behind him that he’d be in the middle of practice or something. But to his surprise Hinata had answered. Had happily greeted Kei like they were old friends.

Kei had fallen asleep listening to Hinata’s voice. It had been the best sleep he had gotten in months.

And then… they kept talking.

Two years. The entire two years Hinata was in Brazil they talked. About their days. About their worries. About whatever popped into their heads. He learned more about Hinata in the two years they were half a world apart than he did the three years they spent at Karasuno.

Then Hinata came back. Even more brilliant and bright than ever. They never really told anyone else how much they talked, how much they got to know each other while Hinata was gone. Which was perfectly fine with Kei. When they all got together he and Hinata acted like they always did. Hinata pestered Kei, Kei rolled his eyes at Hinata, and everyone laughed at their antics.

But when Kei can’t sleep he still calls Hinata.

And if Hinata calls Kei he still answers the phone. Every single time; so long as he’s not at practice or in class. And if he somehow can’t answer, which is rare because Hinata knows his schedule and usually calls when he’s free, he makes sure to send him a message as soon as he can.

It’s ridiculous. He has a big old crush on Hinata Shouyou.

He groans into his pillow and wills himself to sleep.

—

Kei stares down at the volleyball in his hand and contemplates his life. What does it say about his life and his choices and his general state of mind at the moment that he’s actually in the gym at four in the morning instead of peacefully asleep in his bed? He takes a deep breath and serves the ball. He doesn’t have the pinpoint accuracy of some of his fellow players but he takes pride in the fact that he can knock the bottle on the other side of the net down over half of the time.

This is not one of those times.

He scowls across the gym and picks up another ball. He’s not sure if he’s more pissed about the fact that he has a crush on Hinata or the fact that it’s taken him so long to realize it. Either way. He’s pissed about it.

His next serve is even more off the mark than the first and he watches it bounce away towards the corner. He doesn’t bother picking up the next ball. He just kicks it across the gym as hard as he can without looking where it went. It’s more satisfying than the serve and he immediately kicks the next ball as well.

He snaps his head up when he hears the impact. Because that was not the sound of the ball bouncing harmlessly off the wall. That was a ball hitting flesh.

Iwaizumi is standing just inside the door clutching his nose, tears in his eyes, and Kei’s stomach drops to his toes.

He sucks in a sharp breath but Iwaizumi raises his free hand before he can say a word. Iwaizumi points at the bench before he heads for the office where they keep the medical supplies. While Iwaizumi is gone Kei takes the time to gather the balls he had launched all over the court and put the ball cart back where it belongs. Iwaizumi is waiting for him when he gets back to the bench.

“Explain,” Iwaizumi says tersely.

“Couldn’t you just hit me back? It would be less painful for me.”

“Tsukishima.” Well shit. Iwaizumi doesn’t sound pissed, exactly. But his tone and the way he’s looking at Kei reminds him a hell of a lot of Ennoshita during his time as Captain. Which means Kei would probably be better off if Iwaizumi was pissed. “Explain.”

“Fuck,” he whispers. “Fuck!”

Iwaizumi doesn’t say anything. He just sits there and watches as Kei unwraps the tape from his fingers. One by one until his fingers are bare. Kei sighs.

“I have recently come to the conclusion that I have feelings for someone. Romantic feelings.” Iwaizumi nods but still doesn’t say anything. “You’re gonna make me say all of it aren’t you?” Iwaizumi just watches him. Kei can tell just by glancing that Iwaizumi is going to have a very swollen and bruised face before too long. “Fine. I just realized last night that I have romantic feelings for Hinata and have most likely had them since sometime while he was still in Brazil. Over two years ago.”

“Well fuck.”

Kei huffs. “Thanks for the support Iwaizumi-san.”

“Of course.”

They sit together quietly for awhile. Iwaizumi doesn’t push for anything more and Kei is grateful for that. He doesn’t want advice or platitudes. Iwaizumi asked and he told him and that’s that.

—

He can feel Kyoutani watching him. It’s nothing all that new. Kyoutani watches everything like the predator he is. His nickname back at Aoba Johsai may have been Mad Dog but to Kei he’s much more like a cat. He watches, power coiled under his skin, as he stalks around the gym. He sits quietly and then explodes into action before you can even register that he’s there. He lounges around like he owns the place and is extremely reluctant to start moving when prodded or prompted.

Definitely less mad dog and more feral cat. He’s just waiting for the day he hears Kyoutani purring.

Kei snorts quietly and Kyoutani’s head whips towards him.

“Problem?” Kei asks sweetly.

Kyoutani snarls at him and even that feels more like a warning hiss than a growl and Kei fights a smirk. Yoshikawa looks between the two of them and apparently decides that further away is a safer place to be. Kei doesn’t blame him. He and Kyoutani have never gotten into a physical fight but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to come between them when they get after each other.

They leave it alone when Coach snaps at them to knock it off but Kei can feel something simmering between them. He knows he’s on edge. Lack of sleep, nerves about graduation and what comes after, his sudden realization of his feelings. It’s all weighing down on him. He has no idea about Kyoutani. They’re not friends, not really, so he has no idea what’s going on but even he can see the line of tension in Kyoutani that won’t quite go away.

It takes another week before Kyoutani finally boils over. But he doesn’t lash out the way Kei expects him to.

Kei and Iwaizumi are talking quietly after practice. Kei had, for the first time in over four years, not answered the phone when Hinata called him the afternoon before and he hadn’t sent him a message that night and he was kind of maybe freaking out a little over it. He just wasn’t ready to talk to Hinata yet. Not with the realization of his feelings hovering over him like a guillotine waiting to drop.

Kyoutani flops down onto the bench and Kei has to scramble to grab his water bottle before Kyoutani’s stupid head knocks it onto the floor.

“If you want my opinion,” Kyoutani starts.

“I don’t though,” Kei says.

Kyoutani continues like Kei hadn’t even spoken, because of course he does. “You two just need to stop being babies and just fucking talk to them.”

Kei scoffs. “Oh you’re the relationship expert now? Please.” He doesn’t even really want to know how Kyoutani knows what they’re talking about. If he overheard a conversation sometime this last week or if Kei is just being that obvious. Because then he’d have to acknowledge the whole situation is obvious to other people and he’s not about that life. Not today anyway.

Kyoutani raises his brows and grins. “Well. Seeing as how out of the three of us I’m the only one in a relationship and have been for about five years now. Yeah I’d say I am.”

“The fuck?”

“Language Tsukishima,” Iwaizumi says. But he’s looking at Kyoutani suspiciously. “Who are you dating?”

“Akaashi Keiji.”

Kei’s water bottle slips out of his hand and he simply stares at Kyoutani as it hits the floor.

“The fuck!?”   
  


“Language,” Iwaizumi warns him again. To Kyoutani he says, “You’ve been dating Akaashi Keiji for five years?”

“Yep.”

“How… How did none of us know about it?”

Kyoutani shrugs. “I dunno.”

“The fuck,” Kei whispers to himself. This time Iwaizumi doesn’t bother scolding him.

—

“How. In the years we’ve known each other. The times we’ve talked. The times we’ve been drunk on your bathroom floor. How have you never told me you’re not only dating someone but you’re dating one of my current teammates?”

Keiji sighs and Kei holds the phone a little tighter against his ear to hear the response better.

“I don’t know. Because you never asked?”

“Is this a question I should be asking? Do I need to send out a questionnaire to my friends asking if they’re dating my teammates?”

“I mean you could if you wanted to I suppose but that feels a little over dramatic.”

“Kyoutani dropped the fact that he’s been dating someone for five years and that, oh yeah, it’s you, on Iwaizumi and I like a bomb and I’m being over dramatic?”

Kei frowns at Keiji’s laugh.

“Oh I know all about why he dropped that little bomb on the two of you. You both really are being quite ridiculous. In fact I think if you would just talk to Hinata you’d see that—”

“I have to go now Keiji. I’ll talk to you later.”

Kei is not discussing this. Not with Keiji. Not with Iwaizumi. Not with Kyoutani. And he is certainly not going to  _ just _ talk to Hinata. Nope.

—

Now that he knows about them Kei can clearly see that Kyoutani and Keiji are in a relationship and he has no idea how he didn’t notice it sooner. The look of disdain that Kyoutani gives him when he takes another swig of his beer instead of answering Kyoutani’s question is so clearly a Keiji look that Kei feels like an idiot for not noticing.

“I told you. Just ask him out.”

Kei shakes his head at Kyoutani. Which is kind of a bad move because his head is rather fuzzy and the whole room is kind of blurry. He checks to make sure his glasses are still on.

“I,” he says carefully, “don’t think you understand just how much I can’t do that.”

Kyoutani grunts at him and takes a sip of his beer. “I don’t know why I bother with you.”

“Me either,” he answers honestly.

Kyoutani walks him back to his apartment and Kei collapses into his bed. He had barely even looked at his phone all night.

He has two missed calls from Hinata.

He tries not to think about it as he falls asleep.

—

It’s not that Kei is trying to avoid Hinata, exactly. It’s just that he knows that if he talks to Hinata on the phone he won’t be able to control himself right now. He’ll let something slip, say something in the wrong tone, and then Hinata will know. Because he knows himself. 

Face to face conversations he stays grounded as much as possible. He controls his tone. He watches the other person’s reactions.

Texts and chats he can think more about what he says. Can retype the sentences and change what he’s going to say on the spot before he actually says it.

He doesn’t pay as much attention when he talks on the phone. He lets himself get distracted. It’s how he’s managed to let Hinata get as close as he has over the last four years.

So he is perfectly content to just stay here in his little bubble of unrequited feelings thank you very much. He just barely realized his feelings and he’s working through that. The last thing he needs right now is to try to add in whatever Hinata’s feelings might or might not be.

He just can’t deal with that right now.

So he doesn’t. He watches Hinata call him and he doesn’t answer. He leaves carefully thought out responses in the group chats he’s part of, just to show he’s alive. He does his best to just put it all into little boxes in his mind so he can deal with it later.

Or maybe never.

Never works for him too.

  
  


[ **Yamaguchi Tadashi** \- online]

Yams: Tsukishima Kei answer your phone.

ProSalt: Nah.

Yams: I don’t know what Hinata wants but…

Yams: You don’t answer your phone I won’t listen to you when you wanna complain later.

Yams: I’m sure you’ll regret it.

ProSalt: You use that threat a lot.

Yams: It’s not a threat this time. It’s a promise.

  
  


Fifteen seconds later his phone is buzzing in his hand and he almost answers it on reflex. Then he sees Hinata’s name instead of Tadashi’s and he sends it to his voice mail instead. Whatever. If it comes down to it he’ll just talk to someone else instead of Tadashi. He has other friends.


	4. sunrise and breakfast

Kei can hear the rest of the team talking quietly as they all cool down, making plans for the weekend. Kyoutani is on the floor next to him stretching. It’s a peaceful end to a tiring practice and he’s already lost in his own thoughts planning out where he and Kyoutani are going to go get drinks tonight. 

The only warning he gets that his entire weekend is about to be disrupted is a sudden burst of footsteps running towards him and then there’s a warm weight on his back and he’s stumbling forward, trying not to fall to the floor.

He hates when Tadashi is right; he’s already regretting not answering his phone last night. There’s only one person who would have the guts to leap onto his back like this and Kei takes a deep breath.

“Hello Hinata,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Tsukishima!” Hinata cheers.

“You are literally on my back. You don’t have to yell in my ear.”

“Whoops!”

He can hear Kyoutani snorting, just barely thanks to Hinata’s loud giggling in his ear, and he turns to glare at his teammate. His traitorous teammate who is on his side, curled up laughing and clutching his stomach. He can hear his other teammates vaguely behind him, a hum of background noise, and he debates the merit of simply walking away with Hinata clamped on his back like some demented monkey. Maybe he could get away with smacking his back against a wall to try and knock Hinata off. Neither option really sounds appealing so he simply stands and glares at Kyoutani instead.

“Hinata,” a voice behind him scolds. Hinata laughs louder. Somehow.

When the ground doesn’t open up and swallow him whole like he really, really wishes it would he sighs and slowly turns around.

“Hello Asahi-san,” he says as politely as he can manage.

“Hello Tsukishima,” Asahi replies just as politely. “I take it you didn’t know we were coming today?” 

Kei grits his teeth and shakes his head. Asahi’s gaze switches from him to just past his shoulder and he feels Hinata wince.

“Hey he didn’t answer his phone so I couldn’t tell him we were coming.”

“Text messages, Hinata,” Asahi scolds. “Voice mails. Group chat messages. There are plenty of other options.”

Hinata shrugs and drapes his arms over Kei’s shoulders. Kei really wishes he hadn’t come to practice today.

“Tsukishima,” Iwaizumi barks out from across the gym, finally back from wherever he had disappeared to halfway through practice. Kei waves at him over Asahi’s shoulder as he stomps towards them. “You know visitors aren’t allowed. You’ll have to— oh!” If he weren’t so irritated by Hinata’s impression of a backpack right now he’d be close to joining Kyoutani on the floor in laughter at the sheer number of emotions Iwaizumi’s face goes through as he realizes who Kei is talking to.

“Iwaizumi.”

“Azumane.”

Hinata lets out a quiet little laugh in Kei’s ear. “Does Iwaizumi know we know about the picture?”

“He knows I know about them but not how,” Kei replies just as quietly. 

Asahi laughs at something Iwaizumi says and Kei’s not sure he’s ever seen Iwaizumi blush. He’s seen the picture of his cheeks all flushed and has seen his face flushed from the exertion of practice and games. But never a genuine emotional blush. It’s disgustingly sweet and adorable. Asahi rubs at the back of his neck and Kei’s sure he’s blushing too.

“Has Iwaizumi forgotten I’m here?” Kei can hear the pout in Hinata’s voice.

“If Asahi appeared in front of you for the first time in a couple years you’d forget everyone else existed too.”

Hinata hums. “You know. That’s fair. Asahi is pretty awesome.”

Kei shakes his head. “I need to change. Are you going to hang off me like a freaky koala all the way to the lockers?” Hinata crosses his wrists and presses his arms against Kei’s chest. “Fine but you are getting off my back when I change my shirt.”

  
  
  


“Hey Tsukishima,” Hinata asks softly. He had clambered right back onto Kei’s back after he changed his shirt and, like the love sick idiot he is, Kei just… let him.

Kei’s bag dangles from his fingers as he adjusts Hinata’s weight for the walk back to the gym. He still needs to see if Kyoutani is coming out with him tonight and it’s easier to do it now before Kyoutani gets distracted by whatever it is he does when he’s not at practice. He really doesn’t want to think about what Kyoutani does or doesn’t do when he’s not at practice. The less he knows about Kyoutani’s personal life the better. His brain is still trying to properly process the last little tidbit about Kyoutani’s life that he had found out.

“Tsukishima,” Hinata says again as they near the gym.

“What?”

“Are you upset with me for not telling you we were coming to see you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He pauses outside the door. “It’s just. You know I don’t really like surprises that much.”

“I know,” Hinata whispers. “I just. I missed you.”

Kei hums in response and steps inside. He spots Kyoutani on the bench on the far side of the gym — easy to do since everyone else is apparently gone now — and heads that way. Asahi and Iwaizumi are a few steps to the side of the bench and Kei hears Kyoutani talking as he reaches them.

“Are you seeing this shit? Look at this shit!” Kyoutani isn’t keeping his voice down much but Iwaizumi and Asahi are apparently so far in their own world that they’re ignoring him. Kyoutani spots Kei and his eyes light up. He points his phone in their direction and Kei resigns himself to never being taken seriously again by whoever Kyoutani is clearly on a video call with. “Oh my fuck it got better. Here we have Tsukishima Kei wearing this Spring’s most stylish accessory: The Hinata Backpack. Hey Hinata,” Kyoutani calls out. “Wave hi to Keiji.”

Oh. Never mind. Keiji rarely took him seriously anyway. So no worries there.

“Hi Akaashi!” Hinata waves, body tipping backwards and Kei sucks in a breath as he reaches back with one hand and uses his other to grab Hinata’s wrist and yank him tight against his back.

Kyoutani laughs harder. Kei really hopes he passes out or something.

“Kyoutani. We still going out for drinks tonight or what?”

Kyoutani takes a few deep gulps of air and lets out a snicker. Kei raises his brows. He doesn’t have all day.

“Nah,” Kyoutani eventually manages to say. “I got a thing with Keiji tonight.” Kei narrows his eyes. Because he knows that Kyoutani does not, in fact, have a thing with Keiji tonight. Because he spent the first ten minutes of practice whining about needing to find something to do tonight. Which was half the reason Kei had agreed to get drinks with him: to get him to shut up. “You and Hinata will have to go out without me.”

If Kei could light someone on fire with his eyes Kyoutani would be a bonfire right now. A nice crackling pile of kindling. Sadly he can’t so Kyoutani remains unburnt.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Kyoutani doesn’t plan jack shit Kei would assume Kyoutani planned this all somehow. His mind flickers to Keiji for a moment and then dismisses it; Keiji might think they’re being idiots but he’s not about to get involved if no one is getting hurt. So it just boils down to the world being out to get him and ruin his life.

Lovely.

—

He doesn’t walk all the way back to his apartment with Hinata on his back like a deranged koala backpack. But he’s pretty sure had Hinata insisted he would have done it. Because he is so far gone when it comes to Hinata it’s a little frightening.

Hinata is sprawled on Kei’s bed as he sorts out his homework for the weekend and tosses his practice clothes into his hamper and switches his brain from ‘week’ to ‘weekend’ mode. Hinata doesn’t talk much, which is a little weird because Kei has never really put ‘Hinata’ and ‘quiet’ in the same sentence. He just watches Kei go about his routine.

“Sorry,” Hinata says out of the blue as Kei shoves his hamper into the corner and decides he can go a few more days without doing laundry.

“For?”

“Showing up like that. I know you don’t do surprises and I swear it wasn’t going to be a surprise. I was gonna ask last night but you didn’t answer. And I just. Well. Like I said. I missed you.” Hinata rubs at his nose and watches Kei as he sits near the foot of his bed. Kei glances over and Hinata meets his gaze.

He used to hate Hinata’s attention. Hated those bright eyes focusing on him. Hated that feeling of being studied. It always made him feel like he’s standing at the edge of something, stomach twisting and unsure.

But now Hinata’s attention is warm. His focus makes Kei feel more focused as well and he feels himself being drawn to Hinata like a flower to the sun. He shakes his head and tears his gaze away. Leave it to Hinata to turn him into some sort of amateur poet.

“I was being… shitty,” he admits. “I have a lot going on and instead of talking about it I decided to just hole up and ignore everything that I could.”

“Tsukishima,” Hinata scolds.

“I know. I just.” There’s nothing he can say that doesn’t sound like a poor excuse. He tangles his fingers together and glances at Hinata. “I know.”

Hinata huffs at him and looks up to the ceiling. “I was hoping I could get the others to come with. Yamaguchi and Yachi and Kageyama. Then we could all go out and have a fun night. But everyone else was busy. I mean everyone! Even Suga and Daichi and Tanaka and Ennoshita! I was lucky to get Asahi to come with me.” He wriggles until he can poke Kei’s hip with his toes. “Not that I wouldn’t have come alone but it’s a long trip by myself, ya know? Especially since I wasn’t sure if you’d even let me come hang out with you or not.”

There’s something in Hinata’s voice, something sad and unsure, and it twists Kei’s gut in a knot. It just doesn’t sound right coming from Hinata. Maybe years ago he would have been thrilled to hear that sad little unsure note in Hinata’s voice, would have loved seeing him knocked down a peg or two in life. But now? Now that Hinata has talked him through an anxiety attack and he’s listened to Hinata fall asleep on the phone and they know secrets that literally no one else knows about each other? Well he really hates hearing Hinata sound like this.

“I’m sorry for not answering the last couple weeks,” he blurts out before he can stop himself. “I’ve been trying to figure stuff out and needed time away from everything I guess.”

Hinata hums and pokes Kei’s hip again.

“Did you figure it out?”

“I’m still working on it.” He grabs Hinata’s ankle when he goes to poke him again. “And I’ll try not to disappear anymore. But no promises. You know how I am.”

Hinata’s grin is bright enough to blind him.

“Yeah I do. So what’s the plan for tonight?” 

It’s only when Hinata wiggles his foot when he doesn’t answer right away that he realizes he’s still holding onto Hinata’s ankle. He doesn’t yank his hand away or anything but he can feel the embarrassed flush trying to crawl across his cheeks as he lets go and folds his hands in his lap.

He had been planning on just getting ahead on his work, making something quick to eat, and watching whatever documentary looked the most interesting that night. Then Kyoutani had complained about wanting to do something so he had been planning on going out with him tonight. Then Hinata and Asahi had shown up and thrown that all out the window.

“Well the others aren’t here but you and Asahi are. So the three of us could go out to eat maybe?”

“I dunno.” Hinata laughs. “Asahi and Iwaizumi seemed like they might be making their own plans for tonight.” He winks at Kei and wiggles his eyebrows in a way that has Kei doubling over in laughter. “Do we really want to interrupt that?”

“Iwaizumi Hajime has been making my life hell for months. So. Yes.” Kei flashes a grin at Hinata and stands to grab his phone from his dresser. “Besides. You and Asahi came all this way.” He sends a quick message to Asahi and Hinata scrambles off his bed with a cheer.

He lets Hinata use the bathroom to get ready first and he smiles when he hears Hinata singing some pop song to himself through the door. His smile grows when his phone rings and he sees the name on his screen.

“Hello Iwaizumi-san.”

“What the fuck Tsukishima?”

“Language.”

“Spill.” He grabs a change of clothes and hums quietly as he debates between a lighter shirt he’d have to wear a jacket with or a heavier sweater. “Tsukishima,” Iwaizumi says warningly.

“I just figured, you know. If I have to suffer so do you.”

“You are such a shit,” Iwaizumi hisses. He thinks he hears Asahi in the background but he doesn’t really want to think about what he might or might not have interrupted with his invitation to dinner.

“Yes,” he says pleasantly, “I am.” Hinata steps into the doorway and gestures towards the bathroom. “Now. I am going to shower and then the four of us are going out to dinner. See you soon Iwaizumi.”

—

“I can not believe I let you talk me into this.” For a man who walked in with the gorgeousness that is Azumane Asahi at his side — and has had as many drinks as he’s had — Iwaizumi is still really grumpy.

“Well first of all I didn’t talk you into anything. I invited Asahi. Technically he’s the one who invited you.”

“Oh shove off you knew what you were doing.”

“Second of all I’ve bought you half your drinks so you’re welcome.” Iwaizumi makes a dismissive noise and waves his hand in Kei’s direction. “Third of all.” He hears Hinata laughing from across the bar, somehow, and looks over to see him gesturing wildly at whatever he’s talking to Asahi about.

“Third of all?”

“I don’t really have a third of all. Just stop being a grumpy butt.”

“How is it that you’re more respectful to me when you’re pissed off at me?”

Kei hums and watches Hinata order their drinks. He doesn’t even look away when Hinata glances over his shoulder and smiles when he sees Kei watching him. Kei smiles back.

He watches Hinata through the night, watches him charm every person he comes in contact with, watches him laugh at jokes, watches him gesture and grin as he tells a story to a captive audience. He watches Hinata. And Hinata knows it. Because Hinata watches him back. Glances out of the corner of his bright eyes. Looks over the shoulder of yet another fan wanting to talk to him. Meets his gaze dead on as he slides into the seat next to Kei with a soft smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

Then he’s gone again far too soon.

“You know,” Iwaizumi mumbles in his ear. Kei glances beside him to where Iwaizumi is leaning towards Kei so much he’s nearly falling out of his chair and then lets his gaze flicker to Asahi across the table from him. Asahi glances up from his phone as if he feels the weight of Kei’s gaze and gives him a tired smile. “You know,” Iwaizumi says again when he realizes Kei isn’t paying attention to him.

Kei sighs and turns to Iwaizumi. “I know what?”

“You know. If you don’t say something he just might wind up going home with one of those fans of his tonight.”

Kei doesn’t look away from Iwaizumi, doesn’t search out Hinata in the crowd, doesn’t look to see who Hinata is talking to right now. He simply pats Iwaizumi’s shoulder and rights him in his seat.

“No. He won’t.” He pulls out his phone and sees he has a bunch of missed messages in the chat. Iwaizumi scowls at him for a moment, clearly upset at Kei’s dismissal, then turns to nearly flop into Asahi’s lap. Asahi turns bright red and looks at Kei nervously. Kei takes pity on him. “If you want to take him home go for it. He’s clearly had enough and will be making my life hell at practice Monday I’m sure.”

Asahi’s nervous smile turns into a soft genuine one that once upon a time he might have been able to fall in love with had Hinata not barreled into his life first.

“Have a good night, Tsukishima. Let me know when you guys get back to your place.”

Kei nods and waves them away. “You as well. Have a good night Asahi, Iwaizumi.”

He half watches them weave through the crowd towards Hinata as the group chat loads and then he loses track of them once he starts reading.

  
  


[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 4 members online]

Yams: I warned him. I told him if he didn’t answer his phone I wouldn’t be responsible for it.

Yams: So I wash my hands of all of this disaster.

Sassahi: It’s not really a disaster. Other than Iwaizumi being really drunk.

Sassahi: But that’s mostly cause Tsukishima keeps buying him stuff.

Sassahi: I’m not sure if Tsukishima is being polite or if he just doesn’t want to deal with an irritated, sober Iwaizumi

Yams: Knowing Tsukki both are equally likely.

Yams: But if he’s buying Iwaizumi drinks and you’re at the table what’s Hinata doing?

Sassahi: Right now? Looks like he’s telling a story about one of his beach volleyball games to a bunch of people.

Sassahi: Hinata has fans.

Tobio: Hinata has what?

Tobio: No.

Tobio: Pics or it didn’t happen

Yams: Wow Kageyama. That’s so last decade.

Tobio: Huh?

SugaSweet: Yamaguchi be nice.

SugaSweet: Though… I wanna see a pic too.

Sassahi sent an image

Sassahi: Legitimate fangirls (and boys)

SugaSweet: He drug you all that way to see Tsukishima and he’s out schmoozing with a bunch of drunken horny fangirls/boys?

SugaSweet: I was gonna say rude but, you know what? Good for him. He deserves the attention.

Yams: Especially if Tsukki’s not gonna give him any.

  
  


Kei sighs and pinches at the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He really doesn’t even know if he should bother reminding them that he does, in fact, read the chat. Or telling them that he is, in fact, giving Hinata plenty of attention. Or, well, saying anything to them at all about anything. They’re kind of being assholes. And he knows. He’s a prime example of one.

Warmth at his elbow makes him drop his hand. He peers down his nose at Hinata and raises his eyebrows expectantly. Hinata’s eyes are bright and his cheeks are flushed and his smile is damn near contagious.

“You okay?”

“Our old teammates are idiots is all.”

“Oh. Alright.” Hinata hums and steals a sip of Kei’s drink. “Did you want to go? You can’t be having much fun here. Especially with the other two gone.”

“I’m good. You’re having fun.”

“Well yeah but I’m supposed to be here to see you.”

“Hinata.” Hinata looks up at him with wide eyes that Kei could most definitely not get lost in thank you very much. “Go. Have fun until you’re ready to leave. If I get too bored I’ll find you. Either way whenever we leave you’re coming home with me and spending the weekend with me. You’ll see plenty of me before you leave.”

Hinata squints at him for a moment and then grins. “Sounds good.” He nudges Kei’s arm with his elbow and then shoots off towards a crowd near the bar.

  
  


[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 4 members online]

ProSalt: Who has what now?

SugaSweet: Hey Tsukishima.

SugaSweet: And Hinata has fangirls/boys. Apparently.

ProSalt: Mkay.

SugaSweet: He is a pretty popular volleyball player after all.

ProSalt: Is he? Never heard of him.

ProSalt: Who is Hinata?

Yams: One of these days Tsukki you’re gonna get murdered in your sleep.

ProSalt: Probably.

Yams: Don’t expect me to write your eulogy.

ProSalt: 1) You’d have to fight my brother for the honor of writing it. 2) I never said I’d die.

Yams: You’ll be murdered. That kind of implies you’ll die.

ProSalt: I can get better.

Yams: FROM BEING MURDERED?

ProSalt: Yeah. Modern medicine really is impressive.

Yams: I am so done with you.

ProSalt: I would be worried if you didn’t say that to me at least once every two weeks or so.

SugaSweet: Do I need to send you two boys to your separate corners?

ProSalt: You can try. But seeing as how we’re hours away from each other we’re kind of already in separate corners.

SugaSweet: I will send Asahi after you Tsukishima. Don’t think I won’t.

ProSalt: He’s busy making sure a drunk Iwaizumi gets home safely.

ProSalt: Also he doesn’t really scare me.

  
  
  


No one else responds right away so he sets his phone down and glances around the place. Hinata is still near the bar, surrounded by people though there are less than there were before. There’s no one else he recognizes. No one else to entertain him. So he goes back to watching Hinata. Granted his watching is more like staring into space in Hinata’s general direction but there’s no one here to call him on any of it so he just lets himself watch.

It takes another half hour before he really gets bored. Asahi had sent him a text that they made it to Iwaizumi’s. No one is on the group chat. Kyoutani sent him one rude text message and has otherwise ignored Kei all night. Kei stands and grabs his things; he’s ready to go home. He watches Hinata laugh loudly at something and wave as everyone around him leaves. He’s halfway across the bar when he realizes that not everyone had left Hinata’s side. There was still one person standing next to Hinata.

Hinata tilts his head and smiles at whatever the person is saying, eyes flicking to Kei as he approaches. He can tell the moment the person realizes he is behind them because their shoulders tense and they stop talking. Kei meets Hinata’s gaze and nods towards the door. Hinata rolls his eyes but he’s only a few steps behind Kei as he leaves the bar and heads towards his apartment.

  
  


—

  
  


Kei stares at his ceiling. Not for any particular reason. He’s not upset or overly tired or, for the first time in awhile, downright exhausted. He just doesn’t quite want to get out of bed yet.

After they had gotten back from the bar last night he and Hinata had sprawled on his bed and talked. It hadn’t been nearly as bad as he had feared it would be. Actually it reminded him a lot of all the times he had curled up on his bed and talked to Hinata on the phone while he had been in Brazil. It had been nice. Hinata had managed to get him to admit how nervous he was with his time at university coming to an end and needing to enter the ‘real world’ and all that. Hinata had laughed at him, of course, but it had felt oddly comforting.

He groans and rolls to bury his face in his pillows. He knows why it was comforting. Because he has feelings for Hinata and Hinata could probably spill a dozen of Kei’s most embarrassing secrets and he’d still feel comforted somehow.

“You okay?” He groans again and buries his face even deeper into his pillow. “Okay. I feel that one. Understandable.” He can feel Hinata watching him and he’s debating if he wants to roll enough to look back at him or if he just wants to fall back asleep because he can when Hinata giggles. “There’s breakfast if you want it. I thought about bringing it to you but I’m pretty sure you’d kill me if I got crumbs in your bed. Even if they were from you eating.”

Just like that Hinata is gone and Kei is alone with his thoughts. Which is something he’d really rather not be right now so he rolls out of bed with a yawn and shuffles to the kitchen.

He takes the bowl Hinata hands him and stares at it suspiciously, eyes drifting towards the counter where a small cake of some kind is sitting next to a couple of smoothies.

“What the hell is all of this?” Hinata blushes and takes a bite from his own bowl, eyes darting away for a moment as he swallows. “I know I didn’t have enough stuff in my kitchen to make any of this. Let alone all of it.”

Hinata grins sheepishly. “Well you see…”

“Wait. Is this the bags of stuff you refused to let me see inside of that Asahi dropped off when he picked us up last night?”

Hinata laughs nervously and shrugs. “You got me. I just. I remember you were always saying what I was eating for breakfast sounded good and it doesn’t really take long to make and I had all the stuff at home and I just… I just wanted to make you breakfast?”

Kei stares down at his bowl. It’s true. Hinata’s meals in Brazil always sounded really interesting. He just never expected that Hinata would bring ingredients and make him any of them.

“Did you buy all this just to make me breakfast?”  
  


“Just the strawberries for the smoothie. Everything else I brought with me. I would have used it when I got home if I hadn’t made it this weekend.”

That settles the unease in his chest a little and he pokes at the bowl of food in his hand with his spoon.

“Okay,” he says eventually. “So what did the chef prepare for me?”

Hinata coughs down the sip of smoothie he just took and grins brightly at Kei. “Okay so. Some of my favorite breakfast things from Brazil. Açaí berry and banana breakfast bowl with some granola. A strawberry smoothie. And orange cake.”

“That’s a lot of food.”

“No they’re small smoothies. And a small cake we can split.”

“Hinata.”

“Tsukishima.”

“I can’t eat that much.” Hinata frowns at him and fuck him because it’s adorable. “Remember volleyball camp? The ones with Nekoma?” Hinata nods. “Remember that I eat about as much as Kenma does?”

Hinata’s eyes widen in realization and he looks at the food. “Oh.”

“Yeah. I don’t burn off three days worth of food in an hour like you do.” He takes a bite of his açaí bowl and nods approvingly. “That’s actually really good. How about this. I’ll eat what I can and just remember next time that I don’t have your or Kageyama’s stomach okay?”

“Okay!”

Hinata devours his breakfast and Kei eats what he can of his own, which is more than he expects to be able to eat considering he’s usually not much of a breakfast person. He does the dishes — which is only fair since Hinata made food for him — while Hinata sits on the counter next to the sink and chatters at him.

The rest of the weekend passes similarly. Kei goes about his normal weekend routine and Hinata flutters around him, orbiting him as if Kei is the sun in this scenario and Hinata just can’t quite keep himself from Kei’s pull.


	5. yer an adult, tsukki

Kei scrubs his hand over his face and stares at his computer screen. The message on the screen doesn’t change at all. It hasn’t changed since he first read it twenty minutes ago. He rereads it one more time just to be sure.

Still the same message.

The realization sinks in to his bones, cold and hot at the same time, and he reaches for his phone with shaking fingers. He stares down at the screen, eyes glazed a little as he debates who to call first. Hinata’s name is at the top of his recent contacts. Followed by Tadashi and then his brother and mother. Huh. Now that he thinks about it Hinata is usually the first name on his recent contacts.

No. This is not the time to think about that. He can panic over Hinata being the person he contacts on his phone the most later. He can just add it to all the other low level panicking he’s been doing where Hinata is concerned.

He calls Hinata. (Which is another thing he’ll worry about later, that he’s calling and sharing the news with Hinata before anyone else, even his family.)

“’shima?” Hinata sounds out of breath and Kei winces when he looks at the clock on his computer and sees the time. Hinata is probably in the middle of practice and Kei really should have thought this through a little better. “Tsukishima? Everything okay?”

“Hey. It’s a bad time isn’t it? I’ll call later.”

“No it’s fine. I was just getting ready to swap out with Bokuto anyway. Atsumu says he’s tired of me already.” Kei hears shouting in the background and Hinata laughs. “You knew Bokuto was up after me,” Hinata yells, a little muffled like he pulled the phone away, then his voice is back, quieter, “I told you if you called me I’d answer if I can talk. If I don’t have time to talk I’ll let it go to voice mail. So. I’m here. Talk.”

“I got it.”

“It?” He can hear some noise in the background, Hinata slipping through the gym to head outside he figures, and then suddenly Hinata sucks in a sharp breath. “It! The job?”

“Yeah.”

Hinata lets out a string of sounds that reminds Kei of high school. All incomprehensible noise and happiness and excitement. Hinata yells something Kei can’t quite make out, probably something to his teammates, and Kei can’t keep the smile off his face.

He did it. He got the job. His plans for after university are under way. He’ll graduate in a couple months and then start his job at the museum and holy shit. It’s happening.

“Tsukishima? You okay?” Hinata’s voice isn’t made to be quiet and soft yet Kei keeps finding himself on the receiving end of that soft, gentle, kind voice.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m okay. It’s just sinking in. Finally.”

“Finally? How long have you known?”

“I just read the email saying they want to call me to officially offer me the position about twenty minutes ago?”

“Tsukishima.” Kei nods to show he’s listening before he remembers Hinata can’t see him and he hums in acknowledgment. “Am I the first person you told?”

“Uh.” He can’t keep the nervous chuckle from slipping out. The choice to call Hinata first feels so much more significant than it did just a few minutes ago.

“Oh Tsukishima.” Hinata huffs out a laugh. “Congratulations. I am so, so, so happy for you. I know you’ve been stressed about this and I know how hard you’ve been working at university to get good grades and I know you’ve been putting a ton of effort into volleyball and I just. I am really happy for you and I dunno how much it matters to you coming from me but I’m really proud of you.”

“It matters,” Kei whispers around the lump in this throat. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And I appreciate that you called me first. But I’m gonna hang up and head back to practice and you’re gonna call your mom and your brother and whoever else you should be telling. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Call me tonight if you want.”

Kei ends the call and stares down at his phone for a moment, smile on his face as he replays the conversation. His phone buzzes and he nearly drops it in surprise.

He scrolls to the fourth contact on his recent call list and calls his mother. He would have done it even if Hinata hadn’t texted him and told him to do it thank you very much.

—

“So. That’s it?”

Kei blinks up at Kyoutani when he taps him in the hip with his foot in the middle of his stretch.

“What?”

“You’re just gonna… graduate and quit the team and go be a responsible adult and shit.”

Kei snorts and stretches the other way, rolling his eyes when Kyoutani steps over so he can continue glaring down at Kei.

“That was the idea. Yes.” He finishes his stretch and simply looks up at Kyoutani. “I mean. It’s not as though I planned on being a volleyball player forever or anything.”

He leaves it at that and focuses on practice. He still has a couple more official games before graduation, after all, and the last thing he needs right now is Iwaizumi getting on his ass about slacking off. Because he would. Because Iwaizumi is evil like that.

Iwaizumi looks over, almost as if he heard Kei’s thoughts, and raises his brows. Kei mouths Asahi’s name and Iwaizumi blushes. Just a little bit. But now that Kei knows what to look for he knows it’s there.

Kyoutani is a little bit off all practice. Not enough to be called out on it but just enough to irritate Kei. He even shares a look off commiseration with Yoshikawa when one of Kyoutani’s spikes is blocked easily and Kyoutani starts growling.

Kei holds his tongue until after practice. Until after they’ve all showered and changed. Until after even Yoshikawa and Mizushima have gone home and he and Kyoutani are the only two left. He sits on one of the benches as he waits for Kyoutani to finish showering. He glances at the time on his phone and sighs. Kyoutani takes so long to get ready it’s almost a little ridiculous.

  
  


[ **I’m A Kitty Cat And I Dance Dance Dance** \- 3 members online]

ProSalt: Just a thought.

ProSalt: Leaving a watermelon on someone’s doorstep in the middle of the night is a pretty inexpensive way to occupy a portion of their mind for, basically, forever.

Yakkun: You.

Yakkun: That

Yakkun: THAT WAS YOU?

Yakkun: I spent weeks trying to figure out who the hell did it. And why.

Yakkun: WHY?

ProSalt: Well it was originally meant for Kuroo. Then I realized he wasn’t gonna be home.

ProSalt: So I went with the next option.

Yakkun: How was I the next option?

ProSalt: Lev wouldn’t care. Kenma would murder me in my sleep. I didn’t know where anyone else from Nekoma lived.

ProSalt: So: you.

Yakkun: And why are you admitting it now?

ProSalt: Honestly?

Yakkun: Yes.

ProSalt: I’m bored.

ProSalt: So why not.

Lev: How… how did Tsukishima get added to the Nekoma group chat?

Yakkun: That is not important right now Lev.

Lev: Oh. Okay.

  
  


“The hell you still doing here?”

Kei rolls his eyes.

“Do I really need to state the obvious?” Kyoutani glares at him and starts shoving things into his gym bag. Apparently he does. “It’s not like you’ll never see me again. I’ll still come to games once in awhile and all that.” Kyoutani’s glare softens a little but he’s still shoving things into his bag and frowning. “Ugh. Fine. Yes when I graduate I am going to quit playing volleyball. At least at this level. Some day I might join a neighborhood team. That’s awhile down the road though. The job at the museum is something I really want to focus on and I can’t have distractions from it.”

“True. Hinata will distract you plenty.”

“Shut up,” Kei laughs when Kyoutani wiggles his ridiculous eyebrows at him. “Are you done with your tantrum now?”

Kyoutani lets out a sigh and sits down next to Kei.

“So I’m not really that mad about the quitting the team thing. I get it. Volleyball has never been your passion or whatever. I’m mad because I heard it from Iwaizumi. And not. You know. You. Like we’re friends, right? At least I thought we were.”

“Shit. Fuck.” Kyoutani looks at him expectantly. “I found out and then called Hinata. Then called my family. And by the time I was done talking to them Hinata had told the Karasuno chat that I had good news so they freaked out for the next hour on me. Tadashi insisted on a video call and by the time we finished talking it was really late. Then the museum called me this morning to officially offer me the position and I talked to Coach before practice and honestly I didn’t think about telling anyone on the team at that point. I guess Iwaizumi either heard from Coach or from Asahi. Or, hell, even Hinata.”

“But we—”

“Yes,” Kei cuts him off. “Yes we’re friends. I don’t get stupid drunk with people I’m not friends with.”

“Aww,” Kyoutani coos, “we’re friends.”

Kei rubs his temples but he doesn’t say anything. He kind of brought this upon himself after all. He always wound up making friends with the weirdest, most irritating people somehow.

Kyoutani walks with him towards the bus stop and Kei doesn’t say a word even though Kyoutani’s apartment is in the opposite direction. There’s a limit on the number of times they have left to do this after all and Kyoutani really is one of Kei’s friends. The walk is quiet and they stand at the stop for a few minutes in silence until Kei elbows Kyoutani’s side.

“You’re gonna help me move right? I mean. That’s why I have so many muscular friends after all.”

“I knew it,” Kyoutani growls at him, startling a passerby. “I knew you only kept me around cause of my muscles.”

“Yep,” Kei says dryly. “It’s the whole reason I make friends.”

Kyoutani growls at him some more until his bus shows up and Kei manages to make it to his seat before he bursts out laughing. Kyoutani is glaring up at him from the sidewalk, making a very rude gesture, and an older lady is staring at him, clearly scandalized.

He’s actually going to miss this, he realizes as the bus pulls away. His stomach sinks just a little bit but he packs it away for now. He can panic over his life changing later. Right now he’s got too much to do.

—

Nearly all of his stuff is packed, has been for a couple days, and Kei wanders through his little apartment idly. He’s had a good few years here, made a lot of memories, and now he’s ready for the next part of his life. Even if he doesn’t know where he’s moving to yet. He kind of feels like an idiot, having most of his stuff packed and ready to go with no destination planned. But he knows he’ll be moving soon and he’s had a lot of free time on his hands. His last classes were over a couple days ago, his last game with the team was almost a week ago, and his graduation ceremony is just a few days away. He starts his job at the museum in just a few weeks.

In two weeks his lease here is up.

“Shit,” he mutters to his mostly empty apartment.

  
  


[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 5 members online]

ProSalt: So I may have a small issue.

ProSalt: I graduate soon, which you all know. Which means my housing lease will be up. Which means I have about three weeks to find a new place to live before my job at the museum starts and I haven’t found a single thing that I can afford on my own, is within reasonable distance to the museum, and doesn’t make me itch just looking at.

ProSalt: So. Much to my… discomfort. I am asking you all for suggestions. Ones that don’t involve becoming a stripper (@RYUU) or a goat herder (@Tobio).

ProSalt: Please don’t make me regret this more than I already do.

Sassahi: Tsukishima.

ProSalt: No learning from Senpai moments please.

ProSalt: Just suggestions on a solution.

Sassahi: I suggest you listen to your senpai.

Daichi: This is really not like you Tsukishima. Is everything okay?  
Daichi: You know you can talk to us.

ProSalt: Yes. I know. That’s what I am doing right now. Coming to you for help.

Yams: I’m proud of you Tsukki.

ProSalt: Thank you. And shut up.

SugaSweet: I’ll ask around Tsukishima. I’m sure someone I know could use a roommate.

ProSalt: Thank you Sugawara-san.

SugaSweet: You’re welcome.

  
  


Kei sets down his phone and then picks it right back up.

  
  


[ **NO THE DUMPSTER FIRE IS YOUR HOME OFFICER** \- 5 members online]

ProSalt: I’m going to somehow regret this aren’t I?

Sassahi: He did offer to help really really quickly. So. Probably.

  
  


Kei drops his phone with a sigh and collapses onto his bed. Well. There’s not much he can do now. He’s already unleashed Suga onto whatever unsuspecting person he’s unleashed him on. He’ll just have to, maybe, apologize later.

He wakes up some time later to his phone buzzing with a new message.

[ **Akaashi Keiji** \- online]

AkaAshi: Kei. I was looking at getting an apartment closer work but hadn’t found anyone to take the second room. You can have the second room if you want. But you have to see the chaos you’ve inflicted.

AkaAshi:

[ **PRETTY SETTERS ANONYMOUS** \- 5 members online]

SugaSweet: My sweet kouhai has asked us for help. He needs to find someplace to stay after he graduates.

SugaSweet: I’m so proud of him asking for help. My precious kouhai.

Starlight: Which one? You have a few different ones who could maybe fit that description.

SugaSweet: Tsukishima. He graduates in a few days and he only has his apartment a few more weeks.

AkaAshi: I didn’t know Tsukishima’s place was tied into his schooling.

Starlight: Wait I thought you said your sweet kouhai. Not the asshole one.

SugaSweet: How DARE you call my kouhai an asshole, you fiend!

Starlight: BECAUSE HE IS ONE YOU DICK!

SugaSweet: He is sweet, and precious, and clearly not fit to be your roommate!

Starlight: I NEVER WANTED HIM TO BE MY ROOMMATE!

Yahahaba: you’re both kind of assholes senpai.

Yahahaba: maybe you two should be roommates. you’d get along great.

Starlight: EXCUSE ME NO I HATE HIM

Starlight: HOW DARE YOU YAHABA

Tobio: You’re all fighting over Tsukishima? Ew.

AkaAshi: This started over 10 minutes ago and they’re still going at it.

AkaAshi: Anyway. The apartment.

AkaAshi: It’s not the closest to the museum but it’s closer than you are now and it’s actually a pretty nice place.

AkaAshi: I can set up a time for you to look at it in the next few days if you’d like.

ProSalt: That would actually be really great. Thank you Keiji.

ProSalt: I should have just asked the 3rd Gym chat instead of Karasuno. Should have figured you or Kenma would have come up with an easy solution.

AkaAshi: No problem. If nothing else you’ve provided good entertainment in the chat for a few hours. It had been getting quiet in there.

AkaAshi: No new drama for at least a couple days.

ProSalt: Glad I could help.

  
  


Keiji sends him a few pictures he had taken of the apartment and Kei has to admit it is a really nice place. Much better than he’d be able to get on his own and at least he knows Keiji and knows he can get along with him well enough. Or, well, at least he’s never had a problem before. Keiji is stable and secure and Kei trusts him and, more importantly, likes him. He could do a lot worse for a roommate. And in a few years when he’s comfortable in his job and has more money saved up he can go out and get his own place.

He determinedly does not imagine getting a place with Hinata when they’re both older. Does not think about what kinds of things Hinata would want in a home.

Nope. Not at all.


	6. dichotomy

Kei stares at Kyoutani’s bare back, nose scrunching in irritation when he realizes Kyoutani is blocking the fridge.

“You know. Somehow I forgot this part of things when I accepted Keiji’s invitation to be his roommate.”

Kyoutani throws an apple over his shoulder at Kei. “Yeah well. Sucks to be you.”

“Can’t you wear a shirt?”

“Can’t you get the stick out of your ass?”

“Can’t you two ever get along?” Kei shifts to the side as Keiji pushes past him into the kitchen, eyes still half shut and scowl in place. “Like. Ever?”

Kyoutani presses a kiss to Keiji’s forehead as he reaches into the fridge and meets Kei’s eye over Akaashi’s shoulder.

“I mean,” Kyoutani says with a shrug, “this pretty much is us getting along.”

Keiji stares blearily at Kei and then tilts his head to peer at Kyoutani. If Kei didn’t know that Keiji likes him as much as he does he would definitely shrivel up under that slightly dead-eyed stare. Kyoutani doesn’t even flinch. He just smiles and kisses Keiji’s forehead again.

“I would like to be surprised by that. But I’m really not.” Keiji pulls a sports drink out of the fridge and scowls. “Which one of you drank my flavor and replaced it with this bullshit?”

Kyoutani’s eyes flicker between Keiji and the bottle in his hand and Kei a few times before he kisses Keiji’s forehead again — and honestly Kei never would have imagined Kyoutani being such a tactile person like this — and hurries from the kitchen.

“Gonna be late for practice if I don’t leave now,” he calls over his shoulder.

Keiji turns and looks at Kei. Kei blinks and turns around, following Kyoutani out of the kitchen. 

“I have a meeting at the museum at nine. I need to go get ready,” he says when Keiji makes a questioning noise at his retreat. He pokes his head into Keiji’s room and rolls his eyes at Kyoutani. “Next time buy the right flavor.”

“Next time don’t drink Keiji’s last one.”

“Well. Don’t dare me to do it and I won’t.”

Kyoutani laughs at him as he shoves his clothes in his gym bag.

—

Kei settles at his desk and opens his email warily. He likes his job. He’s good at his job. However the dozens of weird as shit emails Mikoshiba sends him daily makes him question his life choices. Mikoshiba’s emails are stupid and a little irritating. But harmless. So it’s not like he’s going to go running to his boss or anything but seriously. Does he really need seven new messages from Mikoshiba in his inbox mere minutes after clocking in for the day?

He gets it. Or at least he thinks he does. Mikoshiba runs the admissions desk most days and helps out with the social media for the museum as well. He gets here about an hour before they actually open for the public and when he works afternoons he’s here a couple hours past close. So he probably has a little bit of spare time on his hands. And from what Kei’s seen of him Mikoshiba is a pretty sociable person. So those hours stuck alone on slow days or when the museum isn’t actually open yet probably drive him bonkers.

He tells himself he’s getting soft in his old age. That’s why he opens the email in his inbox.

> **To** : Tsukishima Kei
> 
> **From** : Mikoshiba Momotarou
> 
> **Subject** : The Dichotomy of Horses and Cats
> 
> You’ve been invited to a group chat! Please click the link to join. 
> 
> **JOIN HERE**
> 
>   
>    
> 

It’s against all his better judgment, and even some of his less than better judgment, that he clicks the link. He’s just humoring Mikoshiba. The kid — and why he thinks of him as a kid when he’s pretty sure Mikoshiba is at least a year, maybe two, older than him is a mystery even to him — is probably bored as all hell considering the museum is closed this week for maintenance and setting up a new exhibit and they’ve already got most of the new media sorted out. Really all that needs to be done is to upload it all and post everything in a couple days when the new exhibit is up.

His clicking the link has nothing to do with maybe missing the chaos of his volleyball teams over the last few years. Nope not at all.

  
  


[ **The Dichotomy of Horses and Cats** \- 3 members online]

Momo: WELCOME TSUKISHIMA!

Momo: THANKS FOR CLICKING THE LINK!

selkieboi: momotarou. capslock.

selkieboi: stop.

Momo: Whoops! Sorry guys! Just really excited that Tsukishima joined the chat!

Ryuugazaki: Oh hello Tsukishima-kun.

TsukishimaKei: So is this some sort of museum group chat?

selkieboi: yes.

Ryuugazaki: No.

selkieboi: yes.

Ryuugazaki: No.

selkieboi: yes.

Ryuugazaki: No.

selkieboi: yes.

Ryuugazaki: No.

selkieboi: yes.

Ryuugazaki: No.

selkieboi: yes.

Ryuugazaki: No.

TsukishimaKei: Well. As entertaining as this has been…

Momo: Haru. Rei. Behave.

Ryuugazaki: I am behaving perfectly fine, Momotarou. It’s Haruka that’s being ridiculous.

Ryuugazaki: He is not a museum employee.

selkieboi: i never said i was

selkieboi: i’m not an employee. i live here.

Ryuugazaki: Haruka

selkieboi: rei

Ryuugazaki: You do not live in the museum.

selkieboi: that’s what you think

TsukishimaKei: Wait. Is that what the weird sounds coming from the children’s wing have been coming from?

selkieboi: no i’m in the marine exhibit. i think the children’s wing is nagisa

Ryuugazaki: Nanase Haruka do not give Nagisa any ideas. I am warning you.

Ryuugazaki: You are my senpai and I respect you. But Do Not.

selkieboi: you can’t tell me what to do

Kei closes out of the chat on his computer and sends to the link to his phone for later. As hilarious as it was guaranteed to be he actually has work to do today.

He gets a good chunk of work done before he heads to lunch. His feet take him towards the admissions desk where he knows Mikoshiba is most likely to be found. It’s actually kind of nice, he thinks when Mikoshiba spots him and waves excitedly. This is the first time in a long time he’s actually made a new friend that has nothing to do with high school and volleyball and all that. Not that he’s going to tell anyone that. Or, at least, he’s not going to phrase it that way. He can practically hear his brother cooing at him just thinking it.

“Are they always like that?”

Mikoshiba blinks at him in confusion for a moment and then laughs. It’s bright and bubbly and contagious. His laugh kind of reminds Kei of Hinata.

He’s finally getting used to that: things reminding him of Hinata.

“It’s Haru. So. Kind of yeah.”

“What does that even mean.”

Mikoshiba shrugs. “It’s Haru. You’ll understand before too long.”

“Okay.” He eats a few bites and then asks, “Ryuugazaki is the same Ryuugazaki who works here right?”

“Yep.”

“And Nagisa is…?”

“Not actually living in the Children’s Wing.” Mikoshiba scrunches his face up and looks towards the entrance to said wing. “Not that I know of anyway. Though… that would explain the weird ass noises.” Mikoshiba shoves a few huge bites into his mouth and stares at the entrance. “But you’ll meet Nagisa and Haru soon enough I’m sure. Haru comes in here a lot after he’s done swimming and Nagisa brings a couple of different kid’s groups through every few weeks. And even if you miss them from that I’m sure you’ll meet them anyway.” He winks at Kei. “I am determined to get you to come out with me one night one way or another.”

“That sounds vaguely threatening.”

“Good.”

  
  


—

Life is… surprisingly good right now. He has new friends from work, he and Keiji have gotten into a nice routine, he can even handle waking up to Kyoutani wandering around the apartment in nothing but boxers. Which is way more than he ever wanted to see of Kyoutani at any given time but he’s grown somewhat immune to it.

  
He tells Hinata as much one night while he’s sitting on the counter watching Kyoutani attempt to cook dinner for Keiji. It’s weird, he thinks as Kyoutani glares at him and gestures threateningly with his knife. Not that long ago just the thought of talking to Hinata on the phone in front of other people would have sent him running for his room to hide under his covers. Now it’s like he just doesn’t care who overhears him. Like some secret of his has been exposed and now he can breathe a little easier because of it.

“No but seriously. I thought I saw enough of him when we changed for volleyball. But now I’ve seen him in a pair of boxer briefs with little paw prints on them and, really, how do you bleach that image from your brain?”

Hinata’s laughter is bright in his ear and he doesn’t even realize he’s smiling until Kyoutani scoffs at him.

“You’re disgustingly in love with the shrimp. You can’t stop smiling.” Kyoutani smacks his hand away from stealing some of the carrots he’s chopping with the flat of his knife. “Just so you know.”

Kei’s smile drops just a little and he hops off the counter. Kyoutani sticks his tongue out at him and Kei heads for his room.

“What did he say about shrimps?”

Kei huffs out a laugh. “Nothing important. What did you say you were up to tonight?”

Hinata laughs again and launches into a long story about Bokuto and Sakusa and facemasks and going shopping and honestly Kei doesn’t listen to most of it. He just basks in the sound of Hinata’s laughter, the rise and fall of his voice, the warmth in his tone as he talks about his teammates.

“And I was thinking, like really thinking, about trying out for the National team. Like. Maybe trying for the Olympics in a couple years.” Kei sits up, fully tuned into the conversation. Hinata sounds as bright as ever. But just a little bit unsure too. Like maybe he’s reaching too far. “I mean I still have some time before trying out. I probably wouldn’t bother until next year. But I know Bokuto is going to go for it. Sakusa and Atsumu too most likely. I just I dunno.”

“Hinata,” Kei says softly.

“Yeah?”

“If you want to try out do it. You’d be really great. Besides I’m sure our wondrous King is trying out. You wouldn’t want to let him surpass you would you?”

Hinata laughs softly, a quiet little thing just for Kei, and he can picture the smile on his face. “You know what? You’re right. Thanks Kei.”

He can feel his cheeks heat up. “You’re welcome. Hey I think Keiji is home so I’m gonna go eat.”

“Okay!”

“Goodnight Shouyou,” he says quickly before he can change his mind. He ends the call and buries his face in his pillows. His cheeks are practically on fire and he stays that way, face buried, until Keiji knocks on his door a half hour later to tell him that he can come eat some of Kyoutani’s food if he dares.

—

Mikoshiba props his hip against Kei’s desk. He’s sure that if Kei didn’t have important work spread across it that Mikoshiba would literally be sprawled across the desk. He’s done it before. Sometimes when Kei is there and sometimes when he’s not. There have been pictures in the group chat of Mikoshiba lounging across the desk like it’s his own personal couch or something.

“Did you need something Mikoshiba?”

“Just wondering if you saw that message about a cookout at Haru’s place tonight. You’re invited you know.”

Kei leans back in his chair. Clearly he isn’t going to get any work done with Mikoshiba hovering over him.

“I did see it.”

“And? Are you gonna make it?”

“Probably not.” Mikoshiba lets out a distressed noise but Kei ignores it. “I have a volleyball game I’m supposed to go. Some people I went to high school with are playing.”

Mikoshiba nods a few times and then shoves off, presumably to go back to his own desk and do some semblance of work or another. Kei sighs and focuses in on his own work.

He forgets about the conversation completely until he’s getting read to leave and Mikoshiba bounces up to him, jacket already on, and slaps his shoulder.

“So. What game are we going to?”

“What do you mean ‘we’?”

“You and me. We. I’ve never been to a volleyball game before.”

There’s a glint in Mikoshiba’s eyes that Kei recognizes. It’s the same glint Kuroo gets before he drags Kei sledding at 3AM and the glint Tadashi gets before he purposely draws Kei into a debate about something and the glint Hinata gets just before he launches himself at Kei, knowing full well Kei will catch him no matter what. It’s a glint that means the person already knows they’ve won and Kei knows better than to fight it.

He presses his hand against his forehead and scrubs at his hair for a moment and then just gives in to the inevitable.

“Fine. I have an extra ticket anyway since my roommate can’t make it.”

Mikoshiba yells happily and practically drags Kei out of the museum. The night guard laughs at them as he locks the door behind them but Kei doesn’t really even mind all that much. Mikoshiba’s enthusiasm is just that infectious.

  
  


Kei grabs Mikoshiba’s jacket for the third time since they left the station to drag him in the right direction, namely away from the bright display window of the toy shop on the corner. It was like walking with a child. Only worse because this child was fully grown and just as strong as Kei and had no qualms about wriggling out of his jacket and taking off at a moment’s notice.

“If you make me late I will not give you my spare ticket and you will not get into the game.”

Mikoshiba freezes, wriggled halfway out of his jacket, and then grins sheepishly.

“Sorry. Since I moved here I haven’t gotten to go many places other than to Haru’s or Rei’s. I’m just excited.”

Kei scoffs and adjusts his glasses. He tugs at Mikoshiba’s jacket. “Come on. We’re almost there.”

  
  
  


“What was your friend’s name again? The one we’re meeting?”

“Kuroo.”

“And he’s a friend from high school too?”

“More or less. What’s with the sudden line of questioning?”

Kei hands over their tickets and nods politely as they’re waved inside. Mikoshiba doesn’t answer until they’re in line to grab something to drink and Kei is texting Kuroo.

“I’m just curious,” Mikoshiba says. “You don’t really talk much about yourself or anything.”

“I’m not all that interesting,” Kei replies as he sends a fourth text asking where the hell Kuroo is.

“Oh that’s not true.” Kei barely even tenses when an arm is slung across the back of his neck and Kuroo’s voice is suddenly in his ear. “Our Tsukki here is plenty interesting.”

“Hello Kuroo.”

“Tsukki!”

“I would say it’s good to see you but my mother taught me not to lie.” Kei steps away to pay for his drink and starts off down the hallway towards the seats, leaving the other two to scramble after him. “Kuroo,” he says when they catch up to him, “this is Mikoshiba, from work. Mikoshiba this is Kuroo. I knew him in high school.”

He leaves them again, this time to make their own introductions while he finds his seat. The others around him are empty and he almost wishes that some of the others could have made it. But then Kuroo is next to him shouting as he spots Bokuto on the court and then Bokuto is shouting back and suddenly Kei is actually glad none of the others are here. Kuroo alone is loud enough.

Kuroo says something Kei doesn’t really listen to and then he’s hurrying down towards the railing between the seats and the court. Mikoshiba sits down next to Kei and leans towards him to be heard over the noise of the crowd.

“So who did you go to school with on the team?”

“Well I actually played with, or against, quite a few of them.” The Jackals come onto the court and he can feel Mikoshiba’s gaze on him. He glances over and Mikoshiba is staring at him with wide eyes. “What?”

“You played volleyball?” He nods and Mikoshiba gasps. “I am learning so much about you tonight!”

“Okay. Anyway. Number 21 down there is Hinata. He’s the one I went to high school with. I played against and went to a couple camps with 13 and 15, Miya and Sakusa. Number 12 is Bokuto. He was on the same team in high school as my roommate. And was part of the first camp I really participated in. The rest of them I don’t really know as well. Mostly just what I’ve picked up from conversations with Hinata.”

“He also went to that very first fated camp with yours truly,” Kuroo says as he drops down into the seat on the other side of Mikoshiba.

“You played too?” Mikoshiba’s head whips towards Kuroo but not before Kei can see the stars forming in his eyes.

Kuroo preens. “I did. Kuroo Tetsurou, former Captain and Middle Blocker for Nekoma High at your service.”

“What’s a Middle Blocker?”

Kei ignores the, quite frankly, disturbing cooing noise Kuroo makes before he launches into a beginner’s rundown of volleyball. He glances over, sees that Mikoshiba is happily entranced by Kuroo, and turns back to the court. Hinata turns just then and spots Kei in the stands. He waves excitedly and elbows Bokuto who looks up and waves as well.

Kei shakes his head and waves back at them.

It’s an intense game. Just about any game with Bokuto or Hinata involved is intense but there’s something different this time. He mentioned it to Kuroo at one point and he just nodded in agreement and mumbled something about the National team and it hit Kei: they were already gearing up for it. None of them would be trying out for the National team for close to a year but they were already working hard for it.

Mikoshiba seems enraptured by the whole thing, occasionally leaning in to ask Kei or Kuroo a question, and it takes him no time at all to get as riled up as any life long fan.

After the match is over Kuroo invites Mikoshiba along on his and Bokuto’s after match ritual. Mikoshiba gives Kei a questioning glance and he waves him off. Kuroo, despite his still ridiculous hair and attitude, is perfectly safe for Mikoshiba to tag along with. Kuroo gives him a wink that he chooses not to contemplate as he heads out of the stands to wait in the hallway near the locker rooms.

Hinata pops out before too long, Miya right behind him, laughing. Miya nods to Kei and slaps Hinata on the shoulder and leaves without saying a word. Which is a little bit odd for Miya. But whatever.

“Hi!” Hinata looks up at Kei in surprise. “I wasn’t sure you’d be out here. You know. Waiting for me after the game.”

“Why not?”

Hinata tilts his head and Kei has stopped trying to not find it endearing. So he just lets his heart do whatever weird shit it’s going to do. 

“Well,” Hinata says, “you brought a friend with didn’t you?”

“I didn’t really bring him. Mikoshiba invited himself before he even knew I had an extra ticket. Then Kuroo invited Mikoshiba out with him and Bokuto tonight,” he explains as they head for the exit. “Besides. Why wouldn’t I wait?” He stops when he realizes Hinata isn’t beside him anymore and glances back to see Hinata staring at him. “I came for you after all.”

Hinata just stares. Not his normal stare. Not his ‘what is wrong with you’ stare. Or his ‘I can’t believe Kageyama did that’ stare. But the one usually reserved for the court. The full focus stare that feels like Hinata can strip away all his defenses and see into his very soul. He stares and stares and stares and there might be people trying to get past them and there might not be but it doesn’t matter because Kei can’t look away. He can’t step aside or twitch or even breathe with the weight of that stare on him.

And the frightening thing is that he doesn’t want to.

If loving Hinata means he’s stuck in this airless void of laser focus then so be it. He’ll happily stand here under pinned under Hinata’s gaze until the world comes to an end, crashing around them. For the first time in a very, very long time he doesn’t want to look away from what he sees in Hinata’s eyes. And for the first time ever he realizes that maybe he doesn’t have to.

Then Hinata blinks and steps forward, grabbing Kei’s elbow and chattering away as he drags him outside and towards his favorite local ramen place.

And Kei lets him.


	7. it's a sharknado!!!!

[ **The Dichotomy of Horses and Cats** \- 4 members online]

selkieboi: i just can’t believe you like that movie

TsukishimaKei: I can’t believe you don’t.

selkieboi: it’s stupid and sharks don’t work that way

TsukishimaKei: That’s what makes it good. It’s so dumb.

selkieboi: no. it’s just dumb. not good.

TsukishimaKei: There’s like five of them,

selkieboi: i haven’t even made it through one

TsukishimaKei: If I ever come over we are watching them. All five of them.

TsukishimaKei: You. Me. Sharknado Marathon

selkieboi: ugh

selkieboi: fine

Momo: Hey Tsukishima! Thanks again for taking me with you to that game last week!

Momo: It was really fun! I learned a lot!

TsukishimaKei: Not sure how much you actually learned from Kuroo. But you’re welcome I suppose.

Momo: Hey! Kuroo was awesome! And funny! And nice!

Nagichan: UH OH SOUNDS LIKE MOMO HAS A CRUUUUSH!

Momo: NO!

Nagichan: Um yes. As the foremost expert in Momo-chan crushes I deem this a Crush.

Momo: NO!

Nagichan: Yes.

TsukishimaKei: Ew. Whatever. I have to get back to work.

  
  


Kei sticks his phone in his desk and resolves to ignore the chat until he’s off work. Easier said than done when he knows Mikoshiba is out sick today so he clearly has all the time in the world to chat. He’ll probably have hundreds of missed messages in that chat alone by the time he leaves work. But he needs to focus. He’s finally being given some extra responsibilities and allowed to do things on his own a bit and there’s no way he’s letting the lure of an entertaining as hell group chat ruin it for him.

Even if Nanase is fun to poke at and Mikoshiba and Hazuki are no doubt arguing up a storm about Mikoshiba’s crush on, ugh, Kuroo of all people. He shrugs to himself and flips open his notepad. There’s no accounting for taste. Then again he’s got mushy Feelings for Hinata Shouyou so maybe he doesn’t have much room to judge.

He buckles down and focuses and manages to not think about the group chat until he’s packing up and getting ready to leave that afternoon. He doesn’t do so well with the ‘not getting distracted by thinking of Hinata’ part of things. But he tries.

That counts, right?

He just can’t help it. Hinata had been in such a bright mood after the game that every moment of that night seems to have gotten stuck in Kei’s mind. He starts to make notes for his project and then realizes he’s been thinking about Hinata’s laugh for five minutes. He pulls up a file on his computer to double check something and then he blinks out of the memory of how warm Hinata’s hand had been against his elbow and how close Hinata had sat while they ate. He stares at the cursor blinking in a new email to his boss for almost ten minutes as he replays their walk to the bus station and how he had honestly considered taking Hinata’s offer to crash on his couch for the night just so he could stay with Hinata just a little longer.

It’s on his walk home when his eye go out of focus as he remembers watching Hinata’s face scrunch up adorably as he tried to decide what to get that he finally sighs and pulls out his phone, ignoring the various group chat notifications, and opens up his private messages with Asahi.

  
  


[ **Azumane Asahi** \- online]

ProSalt: So I am talking to you, and just you, because out of all the people I might discuss this with you are the one least likely to make me regret talking. So please don’t make me regret talking.

Sassashi Okay. What’s going on?

ProSalt: I would legitimately like advice of some kind with this. I’ve kind of talked about it a little with a couple other people. But they just… I don’t know how to explain it? They just want me to jump in and start babbling out my feelings and shit and I just can’t do that.

ProSalt: And I don’t know for sure why I feel that you’ll help me more but I do and you can tell me now if you don’t want to deal with it 

Sassahi: Tsukishima. It’s fine. Talk to me. What’s happening?

ProSalt: So I’m sure you already know. Either because Iwaizumi or one of the others already told you or because I’m starting to think it might be kind of obvious. But I, uh, I like Hinata. Like. Romantically. I think? Like I have feelings for him that aren’t irritation and mild amusement like they were back in high school. We started talking while he was in Brazil and just never really stopped and I think about him a lot and keep getting distracted by remembering stuff we did together and how he looks and smiles and laughs and stuff and I just don’t know what to do anymore. Like. I just got started at this job. I just graduated not that long ago. I don’t know if I have time to even deal with any of this.

ProSalt: And Hinata deserves someone who can deal with it and focus on him and support him and… and love him.

ProSalt: And I know I like him but I don’t know if I love him.

ProSalt: And I just don’t know what to do anymore Asahi-san.

Sassahi: Okay.

Sassahi: Is there anything else you need to get off your chest right now?

ProSalt: I don’t think so.

Sassahi: Okay. So.

Sassahi: It’s okay. It’s all okay. It’s okay that you’re not sure how you feel. It’s okay that you might have feelings for Hinata. It’s okay that you’re not sure where to go with things. You just started a new job, you’re settling in, you’re on your way to being an adult. It’s okay to not be sure about things.

Sassahi: I know you want me to be able to give you all the answers and I wish I could. But the main thing is that you and Hinata are comfortable. With each other. With where you sit relationshipwise (or lack of one). I would tell you to talk to him but I know how impossible that probably feels right now. So. Does Hinata seem happy? Content?

  
  


Kei thinks about it as he unlocks the apartment and toes his shoes off, kicking them neatly into the corner away from Kyoutani’s mountain of shoes. He thinks some more as he hangs up his jacket and pads down the hallway to his room, ignoring Kyoutani and Keiji making out in the kitchen along the way. He changes out of his work clothes and settles on his bed.

  
  


[ **Azumane Asahi** \- online]

ProSalt: I know he’s really nervous about trying out for the National team for the Olympics and all that but otherwise he seems to be. I mean he gets these really intense moments when he looks at me like I’m some puzzle he’s trying to figure out but as far as I can tell he seems happy. He definitely smiles a lot when we’re together and he sounds happy when we’re on the phone.

Sassahi: Oh I didn’t know he was going for the National team for sure.

ProSalt: Yeah he’s worried that he’s reaching too far with it. I told him to go for it. If anyone I know deserves a spot on that team it’s him and Kageyama. Though don’t tell Kageyama I said that.

Sassahi: I won’t tell anyone what we’re talking about. Promise.

ProSalt: Thank you.

Sassahi: You’re welcome. So. He seems happy when he’s with you? He doesn’t seem to want more? He’s not giving any obvious signals he wants something more serious?

ProSalt: Not that I noticed. But then the way everyone else talks makes me wonder if he is and I’m just missing them?

ProSalt: Because Kyoutani was saying

Sassahi: Tsukishima.

ProSalt: Yes?

Sassahi: Forget everyone else. As much as you can anyway. This is between you and Hinata and no one else gets to tell you how to do this. If you’re happy the way things are right now and Hinata seems happy to you then that’s the important thing.

ProSalt: Sometimes when I notice him looking at me he almost seems… not sad but. I dunno. Wistful? Like he wants to ask something or say something but he doesn’t know how to? Fuck I don’t know.

Sassahi: I think we both know that if Hinata wants something he’ll go for it right?

ProSalt: That’s true.

Sassahi: So. If he’s not pushing for anything right now then I feel like it’s probably safe to say he’s content for now. He might not want anything more right now either. Especially not if he’s planning for the National team and the Olympics. Just keep talking to him. I know you. Fairly well anyway. And just the fact that you take time out of your day to talk to him? That’s a lot and I’m sure Hinata knows it. You don’t make time for people you don’t want to Tsukishima. That’s just how you are. But you’ve made time for Hinata and I’m sure he understands what that means in regards to you and him.

  
  


Kei stares up at his ceiling for a few minutes and replays what Asahi has said. It makes sense. Hinata’s never been one to deny himself something he wants so if he’s not pushing for anything from Kei then, for right now, he doesn’t want anything else from Kei. He just wants Kei to answer when he calls and watch him play volleyball and stay up late watching stupid movies when they both know they need to be up early the next day and pay for him eating way too much ramen because Hinata conveniently forgot his wallet and let him make him breakfast.

[ **Azumane Asahi** \- online]

ProSalt: Thank you Asahi-san.

ProSalt: You’ve given me a lot to think about. And you’ve helped me make sense of some things.

Sassahi: You’re welcome. I’m just glad I could help.

ProSalt: You really have.

ProSalt: So. I have to ask. Are you and Iwaizumi officially an item now? Or are you two still just making sweet love? I haven’t seen him since I started my job and Kyoutani hasn’t told me anything.

Sassahi: You’re a brat. But, and you’re the first to know so you better appreciate it, we are. We talked just a couple nights ago and officially asked each other out and all that. So yes. We’re dating.

ProSalt: Congratulations. I’m glad. He’s a dick. But he’s not that bad of a guy. He can’t be if you like him.

  
  


He can almost picture the fond exasperation on Asahi’s face as he reads Kei’s message. They talk a bit longer before Asahi has to say goodbye because he has a date to get ready for and Kei rolls over and buries his face in his pillow. For the first time in quite awhile he feels pretty okay about everything. He pulls his head out from his pillows and grabs his phone to scroll through whatever drama he’s missed in his group chats.

—

Keiji is away for the weekend visiting family. Kei doesn’t have to run any errands or do any chores or leave the warmth and comfort of his bed for anything. It’s quiet and he revels in it. He’s never really lived alone but sometimes he misses the quiet of when he lived at home. With Akiteru so rarely around it was just him and his mother and neither of them were really all that loud. They ate together and spent time around each other but it wasn’t anything like Kyoutani’s occasionally overbearing presence or Keiji’s constant background noise level of a presence. Keiji always seemed to be doing something. It wasn’t annoying by any means but it grated sometimes.

But now? This weekend?

Peace and quiet.

He buries himself even deeper into his blankets and lets himself drift back to sleep.

He wakes up a couple hours later to an annoyingly familiar ringtone chirping away and he manages to drag himself out of bed and grab his phone off his dresser just before it gets sent to voice mail.

“’lo?”

“Tsukishima?”

“Yeah.”

“I woke you up didn’t I? Sorry. I’ll just—”

“What did you need?”

“Nothing. It’s. Never mind I can—”

“Shouyou.”

Silence fills his ear and he blushes.

“I know you were looking forward to a quiet weekend alone but would it maybe be okay if I came over? I just. I could really—”

“Come over. The door will be unlocked. If I don’t answer just come in cause I probably fell back asleep.”

Hinata takes a couple deep breaths and then lets out a soft noise Kei can’t quite make out. “Okay. Thank you Kei.”

“Pick up some snacks or something on your way. I think Kyoutani and Keiji devoured all my shitty junk food before Keiji left last night.”

This time Kei can clearly hear an amused noise before Hinata quietly tells him goodbye.

He shuffles down the hallway and unlocks the door and then rolls himself into a blanket and flops onto the couch. The next time he wakes up his head is pillowed on Hinata’s leg and Hinata’s hand is playing with his hair and he has to squint because he left his glasses in his room but he can see the worried, thoughtful look on Hinata’s face.

“Stop thinking so much. You’ll hurt yourself,” he mutters as he struggles to keep his eyes open. Hinata tenses for a moment and then ruffles Kei’s hair. He’d protest but he’s actually pretty comfortable so he just wriggles a little and settles his head more comfortably on Hinata’s leg.

“Oh shut up,” Hinata grumbles back at him. “I do think you know. I’m not an idiot.”

“I know you’re not,” he says softly.

“Oh,” Hinata breathes out. His fingers still until Kei nudges them with his head and Hinata goes back to running his fingers through Kei’s hair with a quiet laugh.

Once upon a time he never would have believed he would be able to spend over an hour just quietly existing next to Hinata. Or, more accurately, he never would have believed that Hinata could spend over an hour quietly sitting somewhere, barely moving except to run his fingers through Kei’s hair, and not saying a word.

Kei finally sits up with a sigh and untangles himself from his blanket.

Hinata doesn’t say anything but he sticks close as Kei heads to the kitchen and hops up on the counter when Kei starts making himself a late breakfast. He shakes his head when Kei offers him some and Kei shrugs. He eats his breakfast curled over the counter with Hinata a warm line of heat against his side.

Hinata follows him to his room and watches as he digs out his glasses and checks his phone. Kei scrolls through whatever he’s missed in his chats, barely skimming through it, and then tosses his phone back on his dresser.

“So,” he says, meeting Hinata’s eyes.

“So,” Hinata replies. He doesn’t look away and suddenly Kei feels like he’s lost his grasp on things. Like when he was little and climbed to the top of the big kid’s slides and peered over the edge, stomach dropping and ground going in and out of focus as his mind tried to process just how high he was and just how bad of an idea it would be to jump from there. But it was always tempting. Always calling him. Because what if, when he jumped, he didn’t fall? What if when he jumped he flew?

“Was there something special you wanted to do today?”

His breath catches in his chest, lungs suddenly struggling to work, when Hinata smiles at him and shakes his head.

“I just. I’m not having a great week and I just really wanted to spend some time with you.”

Asahi’s words from a few weeks ago pop into his head.  _ You don’t make time for people you don’t want to Tsukishima. That’s just how you are. But you’ve made time for Hinata and I’m sure he understands what that means in regards to you and him. _

Kei nods and scrunches his face like he’s thinking something over. In reality he made his decision before he had even unlocked the door that morning.

“I’ll do you one better.” Hinata gives him a confused look when he smiles at him. “Spend the weekend with me.”

Hinata’s eyes light up for the first time today and he launches himself at Kei. He wraps Hinata in a hug and rests his chin on top of Hinata’s head while Hinata hums happily and snuggles impossibly closer.

It’s nothing incredibly special. They marathon crappy movies and eat all the junk food Hinata had brought with him. Then fall asleep on the couch. When Kei wakes up tangled together with Hinata under the blanket he doesn’t even think about it. He just shifts a little and grabs the remote to start the next movie. Hinata wakes up a few minutes into the movie and wriggles until he’s laying with his head pillowed on Kei’s chest and it’s Kei’s turn to run his fingers through Hinata’s hair.

When Hinata’s stomach starts growling they argue over what to order for dinner and then wrestle over Hinata’s phone when they can’t agree on food.

They fall asleep on the couch again and Kei wakes up Sunday morning with a sore neck and his arm numb but Hinata is a warm weight against his chest and he can’t really regret it even when his arm is flooded with pins and needles as he works it out from where Hinata had pinned it between them. They spend Sunday morning lounging around and sending each other stupid messages and memes on their phones and by the time Hinata pulls his shoes on to leave early Sunday afternoon he’s smiling and laughing again and Kei can’t help but try to knock him over as he hops around on one foot because of course he didn’t bother untying his shoes first.

That feeling is back. That teetering fluttering in his stomach as he peers over the edge and eyes the ground below him.

“Shouyou.” Hinata looks back at him, eyes wide and fingers just barely touching the door knob. He licks his lips and takes the leap. “I’m glad you came over. It was a good weekend.”

Hinata smiles at him.

“I’m glad too. Bye Kei. I’ll let you know when I get home okay?”

He nods and then Hinata is out the door and he’s alone in the quiet once again.

Somehow the quiet is lonelier than it had been at the start of the weekend.

—

Nothing good has ever come from looking up and suddenly seeing Kuroo in front of him. It was never good back in high school at various camps and weekend games when he actually expected to see him around and it certainly isn’t good now when he’s, you know, an adult. At work. Or, well, leaving work. Whatever. It’s where he works and Mikoshiba and Ryuugazaki are coming out of the building just a few steps behind him and the last thing he wants is to deal with whatever bullshit Kuroo is no doubt going to try to drag him in to.

“Hey Tsukki!”

“I’ve told you. Don’t call me Tsukki.”

Kuroo laughs and throws his arm over Kei’s shoulder. “Yeah and you’ll probably be telling me that until one of us is dead.”

“Why are you here Kuroo? Don’t you have, I don’t know, a job? Far away from here? Far away from me?”

“Yeah but I had a day off.” Kei waits for the rest of the explanation and when it doesn’t come he starts walking again. Kuroo scrambles to catch up to him and when he does he throws his arm over Kei’s shoulder again. “I have something important to say Tsukki!”

Kei knows he’s going to regret this, especially since Mikoshiba and Ryuugazaki have almost caught up with them. But he stops anyway and looks at Kuroo expectantly.

“Go on.”

Kuroo licks his lips and smirks. “You’re hot. Let’s bone.”

Ryuugazaki sucks in a sharp breath and starts choking on it. Mikoshiba looks between Kuroo and Kei with wide eyes. Kei scrunches up his face.

“Ew,” he says. “Gross.”

He shakes Kuroo’s arm off and walks away. He really needs new friends.

Oh shit. Kuroo’s his friend. Ugh.

Ryuugazaki catches up to him as he’s waiting for the light at the crosswalk and they share a look.

“So that’s Kuroo?”

“I am so sorry you had to meet him. He is… A handful.” 

Ryuugazaki glances over his shoulder and shrugs. “Momo doesn’t seem to mind him. In fact I think Momo might have a bit of a crush on him.”

Kei rolls his eyes. “He can have him. But someone should tell him that Kuroo comes with an attachment called Bokuto. They’re not dating, that I know of, but they might as well be.”

“Ah,” Ryuugazaki laughs softly. “I understand. My friends Sousuke and Rin are like that.”

The light changes and they walk together quietly. Kei likes Ryuugazaki. The guy is quiet and gets his work done and doesn’t spend all his free time pestering Kei. They’ve had some really interesting conversations, actually. He’s about to ask Ryuugazaki about the article he sent Kei that morning when his phone rings.

He’s almost a little worried when he sees Kenma’s name flash across the screen because Kenma doesn’t call people in general and he especially doesn’t call Kei. The he remembers Kuroo is here and figures Kenma is calling to warn him or something.

“Give me just a minute,” he says to Ryuugazaki. “Hi Kenma. If you’re calling to tell me your best friend is here you’re too late. He already propositioned me and it was as disturbing as you can imagine.”

Kenma lets out a choked off laugh. “I didn’t actually realize he was there though I’m not surprised. He told me he was going to go see Kouta.” Kenma sighs. “Anyway. I have a question for you.”

“Okay.”

“Would you like to get dinner with me tonight? Or maybe tomorrow?”

“Oh, um.” Normally Kei would jump at the chance to hang out with Kenma. Especially since he hasn’t seen him since before he graduated from university and started his job at the museum. “Hinata’s going to call me tonight. We’re supposed to all be going to Suga’s tomorrow for a Karasuno thing and Hinata had said something about meeting at some new coffee shop that opened up near Coach’s store and we need to figure out times and stuff. Maybe some other time though?”

Kenma hums. “We’ll see. Have fun with Hinata this weekend.”

“Okay. Have a good afternoon Kenma.”

Ryuugazaki is watching him as he ends the call and puts the phone back in his pocket. Normally he would balk at being under scrutiny like this. But after spending weeks and months and years being watched by Hinata it doesn’t bother him all that much somehow.

“Hinata,” Ryuugazaki says carefully. Almost like it’s some secret word that will set Kei off or something. When Kei just raises his brows Ryuugazaki continues. “I’ve heard you mention him a few times before. That’s whose volleyball game you went to watch right?”

“The one Mikoshiba invited himself to?” Kei asks with a smile. “Yeah. Hinata and I played volleyball together in high school. We all try to make it to each other’s games when we can. He and a couple others came to a lot of the last games I played with the Jackals before I graduated university.”

“That sounds really nice.”

“They definitely made an impression.” Ryuugazaki laughs at that and then they walk in silence for a few blocks until they part ways.

  
  
  


[ **The Dichotomy of Horses and Cats** \- 4 members online]

TsukishimaKei: Hey @Momo just a reminder that Kuroo is a giant dork and you should only believe like half of what he says.

TsukishimaKei: He may talk all suave and shit but I have pictures of him wearing a pair of lime green boxers on his head. He wasn’t drunk or anything.

Ryuugazaki: Okay just for the record if Momo winds up abducted or something I was not on Momo Watch this week. That was Nagisa and therefore it will be his responsibility to tell Seijuurou.

Nagichan: Wow.

Nagichan: WOW.

Nagichan: After all the shit I have covered your ass on and you’re going to dump that on me?

Nagichan: RUDE.

selkieboi: nagisa we all know you wanna make out with seijuurou

selkieboi: don’t pretend otherwise

Nagichan: Oh I never said that. I just don’t want to be the one to tell him his brother got abducted by Tsukishima’s weird friend.

TsukishimaKei: I was going to deny part of that but unfortunately I have come to the conclusion that he is, in fact, my friend. And I’ve always known he was weird.

  
  


Kei can practically hear Hazuki’s wild, manic giggling as he unlocks the apartment door and kicks his shoes into the corner. They land neatly next to Kyoutani’s pile of shoes.

He’s never understood how Kyoutani has so many shoes. He doesn’t really want to but there’s a niggling of curiosity at the back of his mind about it on days like today when he sees the pile and can estimate just how many days Kyoutani has stayed or is planning on staying simply by how many pairs of shoes there are. He knows Kyoutani wasn’t here when he left this morning for work so judging by the pile he feels safe guessing that Kyoutani will be here three, maybe four days.

Which is fine. Keiji has been kind of grumpy the last few days so Kyoutani hanging around is probably a good thing.

“I’m home,” he calls out. The apartment is fairly quiet but Kei only had to walk in on Keiji with his hands down Kyoutani’s pants twice to learn his lesson.

“Welcome home,” Kyoutani calls out quietly. “We’re in the kitchen. Come here.”

Kei hangs his jacket up and heads that way. He wonders when Hinata will call tonight. If he has time to grab something to eat and maybe shower before then or if he should just wait. Not like it would be the first time Hinata has listened to him eating while they talk. Shit. His phone is still in his jacket pocket and he goes back to grab it.

“Tsukishima,” Keiji calls. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah just grabbing my phone. Be right there.”

He doesn’t have any missed calls or texts but there are a few new messages from Suga that he’ll get to later. Or Suga can just tell him tomorrow when he sees him. He glances up from his phone when he steps into the kitchen and then stops dead in his tracks.

Kyoutani is wearing a bright green party hat. Keiji is holding a small cake. There’s a small banner hanging on the cupboards.

“What. The. Fuck?” Kyoutani’s phone is held up at an angle that Kei just knows means he’s recording what’s happening. Or at least taking pictures. “Seriously what the fuck?”

Keiji smiles at him. “Well we know you’re doing something with your Karasuno team tomorrow but we still wanted to do something. So happy birthday and happy six month anniversary of being an adult and all that.”

Holy shit it has been six months hasn’t it? Six months of going to work. Six months of talking to Mikoshiba and his friends. Six months of coming to this apartment and talking to Keiji and wondering if Kyoutani was going to be shuffling down the hallway and buying groceries and making food.

“Um. Thank you? But it’s not my— oh shit.”

Kyoutani puts his phone on the counter with a laugh. “You forgot it was your birthday this weekend didn’t you?”

“They’re planning a surprise party aren’t they?”

Keiji shrugs. “No idea. I just know that you’ve been claimed by the crows this weekend so we wanted to do something tonight.” He passes Kei the cake. “It’s not strawberry because Kyoutani hates strawberries. But I hope I picked out one that’s okay.”

Kei narrows his eyes and stares at Kyoutani. He knows damn well that Kyoutani doesn’t hate strawberries. Kyoutani devoured Kei’s strawberry ice cream just last week. Kyoutani grins at Kei, basically challenging him to correct Keiji.

It’s not worth it, Kei decides as he takes the fork Keiji hands him and tries the cake.

“It’s delicious,” he says. And it is. “You picked the perfect cake. Thank you Keiji.”

Kyoutani growls at him in warning and Kei laughs.


	8. buy you a drink

[ **Sugawara Koushi** \- online]

ProSalt: Is there a way to tell when people you thought you were friends with aren’t actually your friends?

ProSalt: Like. Them suddenly not talking to you out of nowhere is usually a sign right?

ProSalt: I mean. Right?

SugaSweet: Hard to say for sure but it can be a sign.

SugaSweet: What’s going on?

ProSalt: My friends from work. Or at least I thought they were my friends.

ProSalt: They just kind of stopped talking to me all of a sudden. Like they invited to a group chat not long after I started and we’ve all been talking all the time and now… nothing.

ProSalt: And I know they were friends before me, everyone in the chat other than me knew each other from high school but now

ProSalt: They brush me off at work and yeah we’re all busy but that’s never stopped us before and I’m just trying to think of something I might have said or done. Cause we all know I can be an asshole sometimes but I didn’t think I was that bad anymore?

ProSalt: You’re always honest with me even if I hate it so… What do you think?

SugaSweet: I think you’re a good person. You have an attitude but if they’ve been getting along with you fine so far I doubt this is your fault. You may have said something that threw them off but it sounds more like they have something going on with their core group than anything. Does it have to do with you? Maybe. Maybe not. It sounds like they’re kind of closing ranks. Protecting one of their own from something.

SugaSweet: Or they’re having arguments among themselves and don’t want ‘outsiders’ dragged into it.

ProSalt: That makes sense.

ProSalt: It sucks. But it makes sense.

ProSalt: I just. Everything’s been going really well for me lately and it just feels like this was inevitable.

ProSalt: Something shitty was going to happen to me eventually.

SugaSweet: Tsukishima. Something shitty always happens. No matter what. No matter who you are. That’s life. Ups and downs both.

SugaSweet: We take the good shit with the bad.

ProSalt: Okay you have a point. Oh did I ever actually thank you for my birthday party?

SugaSweet: No. But you smiled a lot and had fun so that was good enough.

ProSalt: Thank you anyway.

SugaSweet: If you really want to thank me then show up for Asahi & Daichi’s birthday party.

ProSalt: We’ll see.

  
  


He’s going to the party. Because Hinata asked him to. But Suga doesn’t need to know that.

Not yet anyway.

He glances at the calendar on his phone and sighs. Speaking of parties…

He’s calling Hinata before he even fully registers what he’s doing.

“Hey Tsukishima!”

“Hello.”

“What’s up?”

He could wait. He doesn’t have to ask just yet. He’s got a couple months to figure out a different solution.

“I’ve got this dressy dinner party thing for work in a couple months and it’s going to be stupid and boring and I could use some entertainment.”

Hinata scoffs at him. “Is that your way of asking me to come with?”

“Yeah. Why you got a problem with it?” He presses his phone against his ear with his shoulder and digs through his work bag until he finds the invitation. “It’s 6PM on April 5th.”

Hinata hums and lets out a grunt, probably from flopping onto his bed or couch. “How dressy are we talking?”

“Not super formal but at least nice slacks and like a dress shirt.”

“I suppose I could manage that,” Hinata eventually says. “If you ask properly.”

Kei rolls his eyes. Of course Hinata wouldn’t make it easy for him. Of course Hinata is going to make him actually say the words. He can practically picture the glint in Hinata’s stupid brown eyes and the dumb challenging grin on his face.

“What if I don’t want to?” He’s going to ask. They both know it. But he’s not going to just roll over and give it up so easily.

“Then you get to go alone and be bored.”

“Who says I’ll go alone?”

Hinata lets out an amused noise. Not quite a laugh but not quite anything else either. It’s a strange noise to hear from Hinata considering he’s usually all unbridled enthusiasm and cheery noises and wild laughter.

“What. You got someone else in mind?”

Kei thinks about it. Thinks about asking another friend. Maybe Tadashi or Keiji. The thought sits in his chest and burns uncomfortably against his ribs. It just isn’t right. Sure he had plenty of people he could ask but he doesn’t actually want to. He doesn’t want to spend the long, boring night with Tadashi or Keiji or someone like Suga or Asahi. He’s scowling without realizing it and he shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

He just wants to spend it with Hinata.

Good thing he knows exactly how to get that to happen.

“Will you come to my dumb work dinner party with me?”

Hinata’s laugh is bright and clear and it loosens that burning feeling in his chest.

“Of course I will.”

—

Daichi and Asahi’s birthday party is a roaring success. There really wasn’t any doubt considering the fact that Suga is the one who planned the entire thing. Daichi and Asahi had tried to take it away from him two years ago and it had been an unbelievable disaster. And not just because Suga was salty as fuck the whole time.

By the time Kei wanders into Suga’s house the party has been going on for at least an hour and everyone is flushed and laughing and shouting at each other over the heavy thump of the music playing through Suga’s sound system. It’s a good thing Suga lives further out of town than he used to or they’d have the cops called on them real soon.

Suga cheers when he sees Kei and then frowns when Kei steps into the kitchen.

“No Hinata?”

Kei glances behind him in confusion and then looks at Suga.

“Um no? I don’t think so.”

Suga pouts. “I was sure he was gonna come with you.”

“Why would he?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Kei blinks at Suga. That was definitely not the answer he was expecting. “Anyway,” Suga says, suddenly grinning. “You’re just in time to help me with my nefarious scheme.”

Kei sighs and doesn’t resist when Suga tugs him close and starts whispering in his ear. He might totally go along with helping Suga too. But no one has any proof of it and it’s really satisfying to hear Kageyama swearing up a storm when he gets locked in one of Suga’s closets. He smiles innocently when Suga hisses that Kageyama was supposed to be locked in the closet  _ with _ someone and says he must have misunderstood.

It’s not as funny an hour later when he’s being locked in the closet with Kageyama. But it’s still a little funny.

He can barely see since the only light comes from under the door but he can feel Kageyama staring in his general direction. He doesn’t think Kageyama is going to do anything rash like punch him or knee him in the balls or, heaven forbid, kiss him. But he’s also not entirely sure. A tipsy Kageyama is a bit of an unknown variable.

“Tsukishima.”

“That’s my name.”

“Hinata.”

Kei stills for a moment and then leans as casually as he can against the closet wall.

“Is still not here as far as I know. Even though he said he’d be.”

Kageyama grunts and sits on the floor, knees pressing against Kei’s ankles. Kei would join him if the closet was just a bit bigger. Or if he was a little drunker. But it’s not and he’s not so he just stands and stares into the almost darkness of the closet.

“Why does everyone here tonight assume I know where he is?” Kei eventually has to ask. “Suga. Daichi. Tanaka. You. I mean it’s not like I have a tracking chip planted on him or anything.”

Kageyama grunts again and Kei has a moment to worry that he’s going to do something like throw up on Kei’s feet before Kageyama speaks.

“Just be decent to him. Okay Shittyshima?”

The door is yanked open before he can reply and Kageyama falls out. Apparently had been leaning against he door while he sat and Kei doesn’t even look down as he steps over Kageyama’s sprawled body and heads for a quieter part of the house. All this noise was giving him a headache.

  
  


A half hour later he’s sitting on Suga’s bed staring out the window at the stars when Suga’s bedroom door opens and a warm weight settles beside him.

“Sorry I was so late,” Hinata mumbles. “Natsu called me.”

“It’s fine. You missed seeing me locked in a closet with Kageyama. So it’s your loss really.”

Hinata laughs softly and bumps his head against Kei’s shoulder.

“Buy you a drink to make up for it?”

Kei rolls his eyes but when Hinata tugs him to his feet he follows without hesitation. Suga meets his eyes when Hinata drags him into the kitchen but is polite enough not to say a word about it.


	9. let's make a deal, you and i

Kei smooths down his hair and frowns at his reflection for what’s probably the twentieth time this hour. He looks strange without his glasses. He leans in close to the mirror and inspects himself. Maybe he should take his contacts out and put his glasses back on. Tonight will be hard enough for him without feeling so exposed.

“You look fine you know.” Kei rolls his eyes. “Just saying. You don’t have to change for the third time tonight if you don’t really want to.”

He turns to glare at Hinata, sprawled at the foot of Kei’s bed.

“Easy for you to say when it’s not your coworkers or your company dinner.”

He had missed the annual museum dinner party last year due to being hired about two weeks too late for it. Which was fine with him. Things like company dinners and parties weren’t really his favorite things. But he likes his job and Mikoshiba had insisted that he at least come to the first one or two of them. After that, apparently, it wasn’t as expected. But the first couple parties and dinners were crucial for newbies.

“Well yeah.” Hinata’s laughter makes Kei smile despite the nervousness curling through his stomach. “Company dinners for me would be, like, Bokuto and I eating our weight in yakiniku while Kenma rethinks investing money in anything involving either of us.”

“You knew he invested money in you guys?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you?”

“I mean clearly since I just asked you.”

“Yeah but you could have picked it up from what I said.”

“I didn’t.”

Hinata shrugs. “Okay.” He glances at his phone and then grins at Kei. “You have five minutes before we have to leave. So either take out the contacts or deal with us looking at your eyes all night.”

Kei curses and turns back to his mirror, determined to take out the contacts. But his glasses case isn’t on top of the dresser and he can’t see shit without his contacts or glasses. He double checks the top of his dresser, drops to the floor to check under it, and even opens the top drawer, just in case.

“Tick tock,” Hinata singsongs from his spot on Kei’s bed. “Two minutes before we’ll be late if we don’t leave.” He hops to his feet and wanders from the room. Probably going to put his shoes on judging by where his voice comes from when he calls out again. “Less than a minute Tsukishima.”

“Fuck,” he hisses and hurries to the door. At least he’s used to wearing his contacts. He just doesn’t necessarily do it very often. He never really likes the way his face looks without his glasses.

Hinata opens the door as he finishes tying his shoes and gestures for Kei to leave first. Kei rolls his eyes at the dramatic bow Hinata gives him but he steps out of his apartment. He does, however, start for the street before Hinata even shuts the door causing Hinata to yelp in surprise and hurry after him.

  
  


They’re about halfway there when Hinata hums and elbows Kei.

“So,” he says slowly. “I’ve kind of met Mikoshiba. But who else is gonna be there?”

“Well mostly it’s just a bunch of my other coworkers. Most of them I don’t even know all that well even after a year. But yeah Mikoshiba will be there. Ryuugazaki said he’d be there and I’m guessing Hazuki and Nanase. They both spend a lot of time at the museum and do some work with the various programs we have come through. Plus I think Nanase has donated to the museum or something.”

Hinata hums again and it takes almost a block but Kei realizes they’re walking close enough that their arms are brushing with each step. Another block and he notices that Hinata is taking deep, measured breaths. The hand not nearly brushing Kei’s own twitches like he’s about to press it to his stomach and then clenches into a fist while Hinata lets out a long breath.

He’s nervous, Kei realizes when they reach the last crosswalk and stop for the light. Kei’s stomach is uneasy because he doesn’t like social interactions like this. But Hinata’s is probably tied up in knots bigger than his fist considering he is literally walking into a room full of people he doesn’t know and, most likely, has next to nothing in common with.

But he’s doing it. No matter how uncomfortable it probably is for him. Or how much he hates dressing up even more than Kei does. He’s doing it.

For Kei.

Because Kei hadn’t wanted to go alone and asked him.

It stops him in his tracks just a few feet away from the museum when it hits him: he’d do the same thing for Hinata. The number of things he’d do because Hinata asked him to, or simply because he knew it would make Hinata happy, far outnumbers the things he wouldn’t do.

“Thank you,” he says when Hinata turns around to look at him when he realizes Kei isn’t beside him anymore. Hinata tilts his head in confusion. “For coming with.”

Watching Hinata’s face light up will never get old. A smile crawls across his face and his eyes start to shimmer and then it’s like watching a new day dawn over the horizon, brilliant and breathtaking and really, really good at filling him with hope and wonder.

Not enough people appreciated the sunrise in Kei’s opinion.

“You’re welcome.” Hinata’s gaze pins him in place, like it always does, and Kei wonders when he stopped struggling to be free of it. It doesn’t matter much in the end though. Because Hinata is smiling at him and his eyes are bright and he reaches out and grabs Kei’s jacket sleeve to pull him along. “All you ever have to do is ask and I’ll be there.”

“I know.”

  
  


It’s about an hour later when Kei encounters the other reason he had wanted Hinata to come along. Mikoshiba leans against the pillars leading towards one of the exhibits and stares at him coolly as Kei approaches him. He’s not entirely sure what he’s done to upset Mikoshiba so much. But whatever it is has also gotten to Ryuugazaki and the last few weeks he’s felt like he’s losing the friends he’s managed to make at work. And it’s been eating away at him, digging in each time Mikoshiba brushes off his offer to eat lunch together or Ryuugazaki tells Kei he doesn’t have time to talk that day because of a deadline or his workload. Each time he opens the group chat and realizes that no one is really using it anymore. He assumes they have another one they’re using instead because Mikoshiba and Ryuugazaki still treat each other the same. Kei’s the odd man out.

Once upon a time it wouldn’t have hurt him so much. Or if it did he would have brushed it off, turned up his nose at them, and went about his way. To hell with them.

But that was before Karasuno and before the Jackals and before living with Keiji and before Hinata had taken over his heart and they all had helped dig up the shitty feelings and thoughts buried in there.

“I see you brought Hinata with you,” Mikoshiba says in lieu of a greeting.

Kei glances over his shoulder to where Hinata is clearly charming Kei’s immediate supervisor. Judging by the way his fingers are fluttering and the way his eyes are lit up he’s talking about his last game.

“Yeah,” Kei says with a smile. “I told him I didn’t really want to come alone so he offered to come with.” That wasn’t quite what had happened but it was close enough.

He can feel Mikoshiba staring at him and he tears his eyes away from Hinata to meet Mikoshiba’s gaze head on.

“You two are really close.” Kei feels like there’s a question in there, a hidden test that Mikoshiba is giving him, but he’s not entirely sure what Mikoshiba wants to know. “Aren’t you?”

“Um. Yes. He’s probably one the closest people in my life.”

His face flushes a little as Mikoshiba studies him. It’s true. He just hasn’t really admitted to anyone out loud yet. He’s barely admitted it to himself.

“I see. That makes a lot of things make sense.” Mikoshiba flashes him a smile and smacks his shoulder lightly. “I have to go find Rei. I’ll talk to you in a bit okay?”

Kei just nods and watches Mikoshiba head into the crowd. He has no idea what happened but that was the most Mikoshiba has said to him in almost three weeks so he counts it as a win. He meets Hinata’s eye across the room and Hinata grins at him. Kei gives him a small smile back and starts to make his way towards him. He’s stopped by a handful of coworkers that he vaguely recognizes before he gets where he’s going and his supervisor smiles when she sees Kei step to Hinata’s side.

“You have got quite an interesting companion here, Tsukishima.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

She smiles at him. “You are both so polite. I am glad you made it tonight, Tsukishima. You have been an excellent addition to our team.” She glances over his shoulder and her smile grows. “Now then. I think your other friends are waiting for you. It makes me very happy to see so much youth so interested in our museum these days.” 

She waves them off and Kei tries to figure out who she was talking about.

He finally spots Mikoshiba near the doors that lead to the offices, gesturing to him with a laugh when Hinata stands on his tiptoes to see over the crowd.

“You ready to meet Mikoshiba and the other disasters?”

“Of course,” Hinata says. “I have to see who has been challenging my title as the biggest disaster you’ve ever known after all.”

“You have other titles,” Kei reminds him as they make their way over.

“Yep,” Hinata chirps at him. “And I’ve earned every one of them.”

The competitive look on his face makes Kei roll his eyes but he doesn’t deny it.

—

It’s still dark out when an annoying chirping pulls him out of sleep. Kei groans and pulls his blanket up to his face, burrowing into the warmth. Then he registers what he’s hearing and he scrambles off his bed, blanket tangling around his ankle as he stumbles to his dresser. He catches the corner of his dresser against his wrist but it doesn’t matter because he gets to his phone before it sends the call to voice mail.

“Hello,” he rasps out. He clears his throat and presses the phone to his ear. “Hinata?”

“Hey.” Hinata sounds out of breath. Nervous. “Um. Sorry I woke you up.” Excited. Scared. “I just. I need to tell someone and you were the first one I thought of.”

“What is it?”

Hinata takes a deep breath and, on the rush of his exhale, says, “I made it I’m on the team.”

Kei blinks a few times as he processes what Hinata said then he sucks in a sharp breath.

“The National team.”

“The National team!”

“Holy shit! Congratulations! That’s amazing!”

“I just. I still can’t believe it? Like I always knew I had a shot. I mean you told me to go for it and you wouldn’t have just said it to be nice to me even though you like me now. So I knew I had a good chance. But still!”

Kei pulls his phone away to glance at the time and frowns. “Okay but it’s like four in the morning. Did they call you last night or something?”

At that Hinata gets really quiet and Kei frowns even more. “Hinata.”

“Tsukishima.”

“How did you find out.”

“Okay but you can’t tell anyone. I wasn’t supposed to tell but I couldn’t keep it quiet anymore. Okay?”

“It’s four in the morning. Don’t worry I’m not going to go wake Keiji up and tell him or anything like that.”

“So. Apparently they called Kageyama last night to offer him a spot and whoever called him let slip they would be calling me in the morning and of course Kageyama had to call me and tell me they offered him a spot first and he spilled that they’d be calling me and now I’ve been up all night because I can’t sleep because holy fuck I made it. I’m on the National team. Or I will be in a few hours when they call and offer me a spot. I did it Kei! I made it! I’m going to the Olympics!”

“You are.”

Hinata lets out a noise of pure happiness and Kei smiles at the sound.

“I’m just. Holy shit.”

Kei laughs. “I’m happy for you. You deserve this, Shouyou.”

“You’ll come watch right? Not just on the tv. You’ll be there right?”

He knows the answer as soon as Hinata starts to ask him. He had probably already decided before Hinata asked him. Still he can’t help but hum thoughtfully while Hinata asks him over and over and over.

“I don’t know,” he teases. “That’s an awful long way to go just to watch a game I could see from the comfort of my home. What’s in it for me?”

“Besides the best seats I, or Kenma, can buy you and whoever else comes with?”

“Besides that.”

“Um a really nice hotel?”

“I dunno.”

“All the food you can eat while you’re there?”

Kei laughs. “We both know that’s not exactly hard. As my mother likes to remind me I eat like a bird.”

This time Hinata laughs. “How about you get to cheer me on, in person, and spend whatever free time I have with me while we’re there?”

Kei hums once again. “I think you may have a deal with that one.”

“I’ve got some time before then. Maybe I’ll think of something to add to it to really sweeten the deal.”

“Good luck.” Kei’s jaw cracks around a yawn.

“I’m gonna hang up. Go back to sleep.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah I’m good now. Thank you for answering.”

“Of course.” Kei yawns again and has to rub sleepy tears from his eyes. “You know as long as I’m not at work I’ll answer. Even if you wake me up.”

“I know. I just really appreciate it.” Hinata pauses and for a moment Kei swears he can feel Hinata’s need to say something even more important hanging in the air. But then Hinata sighs and says, “Sleep well,” instead.

“Once they call you try to get some sleep too.”

  
  


When Kei wakes up the next time it’s actually light out and his phone is buzzing like a bee next to his face. He squints at the screen as notifications keep popping up from his various group chats and messages. Apparently a lot of his former teammates and opponents over the years are going to the Olympics next year. Kei silences all his notifications and goes back to sleep again.

He already congratulated the most important person he knows that’s going. The rest can wait for later.


	10. professional professionals at work, professionally

This is a complete disaster.

Yaku. Bokuto. Ushijima. Hinata. Kageyama. Sakusa. Miya.

All on one team. With Iwaizumi as the stoic trainer — who Kei knows way too much about thanks a lot Asahi — to guide them on their way towards the Olympics.

Hinata leaps for a block and the ball ricochets off of Bokuto’s face and Kei smothers a laugh. Beside him Kuroo doesn’t even bother trying to hide it and just curls over his knees and does his wild donkey bray that Kei really shouldn’t find even remotely endearing but he kind of does. Kuroo is a giant dork but he’s a pretty decent friend.

Ugh. This whole having feelings for Hinata thing is making him soft.

“Feelings are stupid,” he declares to absolutely no one. Kuroo wipes tears from his eyes and sits back up. Keiji sits down on Kei’s other side and hands him a bottle of water. “I’m surprised Kyoutani didn’t come with you.”

Keiji shrugs. “He said if he wanted to watch a train wreck he’d just start a video call in the Aoba Johsai group chat.”

“That’s fair.” Kei watches Kageyama attempting to intimidate Miya with his patented King glare while one of their other teammates hooks an arm around Hinata’s waist and tugs him away from the debacle.

“Also he’s been taking some online classes and he has some projects he’s working on that are due soon.”

“Really?” He doesn’t try to mask his surprise and it earns him a warning look from Keiji. He’s not surprised about Kyoutani taking classes he’s surprised he hasn’t heard about it yet. From anyone. “Huh. Is that why he hasn’t been practically living in our kitchen the last few weeks?” Keiji relaxes slowly when that’s all that Kei says. Seriously he’s really not surprised that Kyoutani is taking classes. Kyoutani isn’t really someone who can sit idly and Kei had gotten the feeling before his last game with the team that Kyoutani had been getting antsy. He’s more surprised that it took him this long to do anything about it.

A shout from the court draws his attention back and he misses the sounds of someone sitting down behind him. He doesn’t miss the warm weight of said someone propping themselves on his and Kuroo’s shoulder and leaning between them.

“This isn’t their first practice right? Like they’ve played together as the National team a couple times, right?”

He can just make out a shock of annoyingly bright red hair out of the corner of his eye and he sighs disgustedly.

“Tendou,” he says curtly.

“Tsukishima,” Tendou practically purrs in his ear.

“Ugh I am not your personal armrest.”

“Yeah I know.”

Kei rolls his eyes and does his best to ignore Tendou. As much of a disaster the court is turning into the stands are rapidly becoming just as bad. Who’s going to show up next? Haiba? Noya? He would guess maybe Oikawa if he didn’t know for a fact that Oikawa is in Argentina playing for their National team.

“What is going on down there?” Tendou asks.

He wants to shake Tendou off his shoulder but he’s too distracted by watching the team basically fall apart in front of them to really focus on it.

Hinata and Kageyama are yelling at each other which is a familiar enough sight that Kei kind of glosses over it. But a few steps away from them Sakusa and Miya are eying each other warily and over by the bench Bokuto, Ushijima, and one of the team members that Kei only vaguely recognizes look like they’re only a few seconds away from copying Hinata and Kageyama and getting in each other’s faces.

Movement to his right makes him look away from the drama unfolding in front of him. Keiji has his phone out and has a video chat of some kind open. Kei sees comments popping up to the side of the video and he leans a little closer to read them, ignoring Tendou’s noise of distress at his sudden loss of armrest.

  
  


[ **PRETTY SETTERS ANONYMOUS** \- 8 members online]

SugaSweet: I swear if I have to come down there and slap them I will.

Yahahaba: Is that??? 

Yahahaba: Is that Ushijima looking like he’s about to throw hands with Bokuto?

Yahahaba: @Starlight are you seeing this?

SugaSweet: I am not joking. I am embarrassed that two members of Karasuno are on the National team and this is what they’re doing.

SugaSweet: Not just embarrassed. I am Disappointed.

SemiSemi: Oooooh damn Sugawara is Disappointed. 

SemiSemi: @Tobio you’re in deep shit now.

Starlight: I should be asleep but this is so gonna be worth the exhaustion at practice later.

Starlight: Holy fuck if this is how they are we’re gonna kick their ass so hard YOU all will feel it.

Starlight: Like. Damn.

kenma: wow.

SugaSweet: I am appalled.

Yahahaba: I should totally be working right now but I don’t even care. This is so much better.

kenma: wow.

KOGANE: What exactly is happening? Why are they all so angry?

Moniwa: Who the heck is supposed to be in charge?

  
  


“I think the coach got pulled away for some paperwork issues,” Keiji says quietly, eyes flickering between the comments and the actual scene in front of them.

“Yeah. But Iwaizumi should be down there,” Kei replies. “He’s their trainer right? All that practice wrangling Oikawa over the years means this should be a piece of cake for him to control.”

  
  


[ **PRETTY SETTERS ANONYMOUS** \- 9 members online]

Starlight: I HEARD THAT. WHO WAS THAT?

Starlight: AKAASHI WHO IS THAT?

Starlight: I KNOW IT WASN’T KYOUKEN SO WHO?

SemiSemi: Fuck. You don’t have to shout Oikawa.

Starlight: SHUT UP SEMISEMI

Coach: Stop. All of you. You’re giving me a headache.

SugaSweet: Sorry Coach.

Yahahaba: Sorry Ukai-san

SemiSemi: Apologies

Starlight: Sorry Ukai-san.

Starlight: I’m just tired?

Coach: And that’s your fault not ours. So zip it.

Coach: I wanna see what my dumbasses are doing down there.

kenma: keiji or tsukki tell kuro to laugh quieter he’s distracting.

  
  


Keiji’s eyes flicker towards him and Kei snickers.

“You think it’s distracting for you try sitting next to it,” Kei says. “Between Kuroo’s braying and Tendou’s weird mouth breathing I can barely pay attention myself.”

“Hey!” Tendou flicks Kei’s ear. “Don’t be a jerk.”

“I’ll stop being a jerk when you stop being so weird.” Kei plants his hand across Tendou’s face and pushes him towards Kuroo. He yanks his hand back a moment later and stares at Tendou in disgust. “Did you just lick my palm?”

Tendou licks his lips dramatically and tilts his head. “Mmm,” he hums, “extra salty. Just like you.”

Kei has never really been one to be drawn into petty shoving matches, not even when he was five or six and still had stars in his eyes for his brother, but Tendou manages to drag him into one that he doesn’t even realize he’s part of until Keiji starts laughing and Kei looks up to see Keiji’s phone pointed towards them. He untangles himself from Tendou, makes a slightly rude gesture towards Keiji and the camera, and sits up. His eyes are drawn towards Bokuto and Ushijima in each other’s faces — Bokuto gesturing towards the net while Ushijima narrows his eyes and says something in reply — and then his attention snaps towards the bench.

Iwaizumi drops his clipboard onto the bench as he slowly observes the chaos on the court. Kei swallows a little harder than normal at the irritated look on Iwaizumi’s face. That look hasn’t been directed towards him for almost two years now, at least not on the court, but he still tenses. It’s a Pavlovian reaction at this point. He settles back next to Keiji and glances at his phone screen and is glad to see he’s not the only one who feels that way.

  
  


[ **PRETTY SETTERS ANONYMOUS** \- 9 members online]

Yahahaba: Oh shit.

Yahahaba: OH SHIT.

Starlight: UH OH. THEY’RE IN DEEP SHIT NOW.

Starlight: Iwa-chan’s about to kick some asses.

Yahahaba: I haven’t seen him that mad since that time Hanamaki-san and I put itching powder in his deodorant.

Starlight: THAT WAS MAKKI?

Starlight: WAIT THAT WAS MAKKI AND YOU???

Yahahaba: That’s not important right now Oikawa-san.

SugaSweet: And I thought my team was a disaster.

Coach: It was Suga.

Coach: You were all smelly teenage boys. Of course you were disasters.

  
  


Keiji zooms in on Iwaizumi’s face and Kei can almost see the vein popping out in Iwaizumi’s forehead as he rolls his shoulders and cracks his knuckles. Keiji zooms back out just a little and pans through the team and their various arguments. All of them oblivious to what’s happening.

“No.” Keiji’s screen snaps back to Iwaizumi. The noise in the gym dies just a little. “I. Said. No.” Iwaizumi raises his voice to something just below a shout and the gym goes silent.

The four of them in the stands go completely still as they watch Iwaizumi rip into the team. They’re called everything from ‘childish’ to ‘unprofessional’ to ‘a complete embarrassment to the sport’ and then some. It’s terrifying but at the same time kind of beautiful. Kei can almost understand what Asahi meant when he said that it was Iwaizumi’s passion that had really drawn him in. Because for all the time they had spent together while Kei played for the Jackals he had never seen Iwaizumi so…vibrant and alive.

Silence presses in on them and he glances to the left and meets Tendou’s eyes.

‘Wow’ Tendou mouths, eyes wide and impressed. Kei nods in agreement.

There’s quiet murmuring from the court as the team, properly chastised, apologize to each other and start their practice up again.

Keiji taps his phone and switches the camera to front view.

“And that,” he says, tilting the phone to capture all four of their faces, “is why Iwaizumi Hajime is my hero.”

  
  


—

  
  


Hinata drags himself into the hotel room and collapses onto the bed with a groan.

Kei doesn’t even look up from his book. “Told you Iwaizumi was a hard ass.”

Hinata just groans in response and nuzzles into the sheets.

“’m gonna melt into the bed now kay?”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the company but why are you here? Didn’t you and Kageyama get a place closer to the team?” Hinata mumbles something. “What was that?”

“I said I wanted to see you. We haven’t got to hang out at all since the party Suga and Daichi threw for Kageyama and I for making the team.” Hinata rolls his head enough to look at Kei. He doesn’t look up but he can feel Hinata’s gaze. “I missed you.”

His cheeks flush and Hinata falls silent except for his steady breaths. Kei would assume Hinata feel asleep if it wasn’t for the fact he can still feel Hinata’s gaze on him. He restarts the same paragraph four times before he shuts his book and looks at Hinata.

His hair is still damp from showering after practice and he blinks slowly, tired and content, as he watches Kei. He’s watching the way Kei’s fingers fidget, running along the edges of his book, and when Kei shifts in his chair Hinata’s eyes flicker along his legs and arms until he settles. His eyes follow Kei’s movements as he stands and sets his book in the chair before crossing to the bed.

Kei reaches out and Hinata’s eyes flutter shut as Kei ruffles his damp hair. His eyes snap open and he locks gazes with Kei when Kei runs the back of his knuckles across Hinata’s cheek.

“I missed you too,” Kei manages to say, cheeks practically on fire at the admission. But he’d suffer through it again and again to see the soft curl of Hinata’s smile and the way his eyes twinkle in the dim light of Kei’s hotel room. “I have to head out tomorrow morning. I could only get a couple days off of work.”

“I figured.” He hates the sad little undertone to Hinata’s voice. “Thank you for coming. I know it’s kind of a long trip just to turn around and leave the next day and that you don’t really like traveling all that much and—”

  
Hinata startles when Kei flicks his nose.

“You’d do the same for me. You’ve done the same for me.”

“Yeah but—”

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to. You know that.”

Have Hinata’s eyes always been this bright and sparkling? When did they stop flashing an irritating challenge when they met Kei’s own? When did Hinata start looking at him like he was the sun? Like he couldn’t imagine a day without Kei in his life?

When did he start looking back at Hinata the same way?

He clears his throat and glances at the clock beside the bed.

“You want to watch a movie or something?”

Hinata stares at him for just a moment longer. “Sure,” he says around a yawn. “Though I can’t promise to stay awake the whole time.”

Kei scoffs. “So. Business as usual then.”

Hinata snaps at him and he laughs as they shuffle around and elbow each other out of the way and set themselves up on the bed to watch a movie on Kei’s laptop. Hinata lasts an admirable fifteen minutes into the movie before he slumps heavily against Kei’s shoulder. Kei shifts them until he has Hinata propped against his chest with his arm draped across Hinata’s back. Hinata stays asleep through the whole movie and when it’s over Kei carefully sets his laptop and glasses on the bedside table and pulls the blanket up around them both.

He wakes up alone, Hinata gone already so he can be to practice on time, and isn’t even surprised at the twinge of disappointment he feels when he realizes he won’t have time to see Hinata today before he has to go back home.


	11. ur just totes adorbs

Kei just wants to go home and sleep for a week. He missed an important deadline and has been playing catch up all week. He’s pretty sure he’s catching a cold. His mother has been asking when he might be able to come home and visit. Hinata hasn’t been able to talk to him for more than five minutes all week because of practice. Mikoshiba keeps stopping by and giving him these… looks. He got in an argument with Keiji this morning over something he honestly can’t even remember now that he tries to think about it.

He just needs a break.

He needs time off. But he can’t really take any right now because he’s saving his time and working as much as he can to save enough money because there’s no way in hell that he’s going to miss seeing Hinata play in the Olympics. He, Asahi, Kuroo, and Keiji already have hotel rooms and plane tickets booked and ready to go. He just needs to make it two more weeks then he’ll have three weeks of time off. Three weeks of time with his friends. The friends he’s going with and whoever else he happens to run into while he’s there. Three weeks where he’s been promised any and all of Hinata’s free time.

He’ll have to think about what happens after. He knows. He knows there’s a lot hanging in the air. But for right now he just needs to get through these couple weeks.

Which is easier said than done when his head is starting to throb and Mikoshiba leans against his desk and crosses his arms and looks down at Kei like he’s putting pieces of a puzzle together and the picture isn’t the one he thought he had.

“What?” Kei finally snaps. “What do you want or need?”

Mikoshiba laughs. “That, my friend, is a loaded question.”

“Seriously Mikoshiba. I have a lot of stuff to do.”

“You know. When we first met I thought you were kind of a cold asshole.” Kei glances up at Mikoshiba and then goes back to the email he was in the middle of sending his boss. “And then we started talking and I realized you’re just kind of a jerk. Kind of rude. But not usually in a mean way. Don’t get me wrong you have your moments.”

“Are you going somewhere with this?”

“Did you have the slightest clue that Haru was flirting with you?”

Kei’s stomach drops and he slowly looks up at Mikoshiba.

“What?”

“A few months after you joined the group chat. We all thought maybe you were just playing hard to get or something. Then we thought you were deliberately being an asshole about it. Stringing Haru along and being a dick. But then that night at that first work party. It hit me when you showed up with Hinata. You didn’t even realize it did you? You didn’t have the slightest clue Haru had been flirting with you.”

Kei finishes his email and gives Mikoshiba his full attention. If that’s what they thought it definitely explained some things.

“Is that why you were all being so distant before the party? Why everyone else stopped talking in the group chat I was in? Why Ryuugazaki basically stopped speaking to me?”

Mikoshiba at least looks a little sheepish when he shrugs. “We’re… protective of Haru. Especially Rei and Nagisa. We seriously thought you knew. And then you showed up with Hinata and kept watching him all night and when I asked you said how he was probably one of the closest people in your life and I realized it. You weren’t stringing Haru along. You just honestly didn’t notice it was happening. You had no idea. Because all of your attention was already taken by someone else.”

This really isn’t a conversation he wants to have. But judging by the look on Mikoshiba’s face he doesn’t have much of a choice. But he doesn’t have to have it at work.

“Can we wait until after we leave? I really do have a lot of stuff to do.”

Mikoshiba gives him another of those looks and then nods, leaving without another word. The rest of his day drags on but he manages to get through it.

Mikoshiba is waiting for him and they walk out together, waving to the guard who lets them out. They wander towards the park but instead of parting ways like they usually do there they head inside and settle on one of the benches.

“So,” Kei says once the quiet between them gets to be too much.

“So. You didn’t know did you?”

Kei huffs. “Not a clue.”

“Because of Hinata?”

“More or less I suppose. I’ve never really noticed anyone in that way other than him.” He tangles his fingers together and stares up through the trees. “Why are you bringing this up now? That was over a year ago.”

“You’ve been really distracted lately and I wanted to make sure you were okay and it just kind of popped into my head the other day when you mentioned that you were trying to get so much done because you were going to the Olympics. Mostly because of how you said it.”

“How did I say it?”

“Well whenever you mention it, its never just ‘going to the Olympics’ ya know? For most people that would be the main event. Like. ‘Hey I’m going to the Olympics!’ That’s the headline. That’s the whole story. But you always say how you’re going to the Olympics to see Hinata. Sometimes it’s to see Hinata and the others. But most of the time it’s to see Hinata. Like the Olympics aren’t the main event. They’re just a convenient meet up point. Like saying you’re going to the coffee shop to meet your brother. Yeah you’re going to the coffee shop but the important part is that you’re meeting your brother. Otherwise you’d just say you were going to the coffee shop.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” 

He doesn’t look but he can hear the smile in Mikoshiba’s voice. It kind of reminds of when he talks to Akiteru on the phone and he relaxes just a little. Mikoshiba isn’t mad at him, as far as he can tell. It’s almost more like he’s really amused by Kei. Which is both a good thing and an irritating thing to deal with.

“I guess I’ve been pretty focused on that part of it. I mean it is really cool to be going to the Olympics and going with friends but really I’m going because Hinata asked me. He asked me years ago when he first started talking about trying for it if I’d go watch him if he made it.”

Mikoshiba coos at him. “That’s so adorable. You two are so adorable.”

And there’s the irritating part to deal with. “Shut up,” he grumbles.

“Nope. You’re adorable. Just like my big sister is.” Mikoshiba gasps and Kei looks over, startled. “Wait. You’re like my little brother.”

“Oh hell no.”

“Yes.”

“I have one older brother I do not want nor need another.”

“Little brother,” Mikoshiba says, teary eyed. “I always wanted a little brother.”

Kei buries his face in his hands and ignores Mikoshiba’s antics. He has plenty of practice ignoring embarrassing older brothers after all.


	12. why we're here

This is it.

Kei looks at Kuroo and can’t help but mirror the other man’s grin.

They’re at the Olympics. Sure neither one of them are competing but they’re here. The roar of the crowd thrums through their veins and they share a look. It’s bittersweet. Knowing they played on the same court, on the same teams, as the people they’re here to watch. They trained with those people. They grew with those people. Some of them just kept growing and now they’re here.

Keiji and Asahi join them and hand over the drinks they had gone to get. Asahi sighs when he sees the look Kuroo and Kei are sharing.

“Suga would have a heart attack if he heard me of all people say this but don’t be so melodramatic,” Asahi says. “Seriously guys. Relax.”

Keiji nudges Kei’s shoulder. “He’s right you know.” He reaches past Kei to put his hand on Kuroo’s shoulder and shake him gently. “Don’t think of it as you didn’t make it. That none of us made it. Think of it like this: we helped them get here.” Keiji points down to the court. “We picked them up when they were down. We sweat with them. We bled with them. We cried with them. We overcame defeats and we celebrated victories. Yes they are the ones playing here today but don’t think for a second that any of our friends down there have forgotten where they come from and who they’ve had at their sides. Don’t think that they’ve forgotten even a moment of the time spent on the court with us. That they’ve forgotten us. Even the ones we haven’t played with surely carry the memories of their own teams in their hearts. Yes they’re here for themselves today. But they’re also here for all of us. For each person they played with that can’t be on that court with them now. And don’t any of you dare dismiss that burden they’re carrying for us.”

Kei stares at Keiji. He’s known the other man for over eight years. Has lived with him for over two. And he has never seen or heard him speak so passionately about something. Then it hits him and he feels like an idiot. Keiji is here for Bokuto. Keiji has been friends with Bokuto for over a decade. Keiji used to be one of the only people to be able to snap Bokuto out of a funk. Keiji probably knows Bokuto better than even Kuroo does. Keiji has seen Bokuto grow from an emotional player prone to self-doubt into a strong, self assured player who knows his worth on and off the court.

Kei glances at Kuroo and they share a sheepish smile.

“Man Akaashi,” Kuroo teases. “If only Bokuto could hear you so passionate about him playing. He’d probably bawl like a baby.”

Keiji flushes and tilts his chin up. “Shut up Kuroo.”

“That was a pretty impressive speech.”

“Azumane don’t even start.”

Kei grins and nudges Keiji’s shoulder. “Seriously,” he says quietly. “That was pretty awesome. The last time I felt like someone kicked me in the chest like that with a speech I was being yelled at by my best friend for not taking volleyball serious enough.” Keiji looks at him and Kei raises his brows. “Thank you for the reminder of why we’re here. And why they’re here.”

Keiji blinks a few times and then nods.

Then the announcer starts talking and Kei stops paying attention to anything other than the players walking onto the court.

So many amazing people. So many players he played against. Players he won against. Players he lost against.

His stomach twists and turns as the names are called off and he remembers.

Ushijima Wakatoshi and his nearly impossible to stop spikes and split fingers taped tight.

Bokuto Koutarou and his wild energy and nights at camp spent wondering why the hell he’s there.

Yaku Morisuke and ridiculous saves and the irritating need to prove himself curling in his gut.

Miya Atsumu and his aggressive playing that just begged to be shut down and stopped.

Kageyama Tobio and kings and courts and refusing to bow to him and supporting him and the warmth of victory and friendship.

Hinata Shouyou.

There are so many memories of Hinata that he can’t even begin to parse them down into simpler, core memories. He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to put Hinata off to the side and lump him in with the others.

Hinata is the reason he’s here today.

The team is introduced and they turn to greet the fans in the stands. Hinata grins when he spots Kei and waves enthusiastically, suddenly a hundred times more energetic than he was just a moment before and Kei smiles back at him. Maybe later he’ll have the courage to ask Hinata if Kei is part of the reason Hinata is here as well.

—

Kei steps out of the bathroom, towel over his head, and freezes. Then he shakes himself out of his stupor and heads for the chair he had tossed his change of clothes into before his shower. He stops at the foot of his bed and taps his knee against the mattress.

“Okay I know you promised me all of your free time but isn’t this a little extreme?” Hinata rolls onto his back and squints up at Kei. “Also how did you get into my room?”

Hinata hops onto his feet and walks right past Kei into the bathroom. Kei stares at the shut door and then shakes his head. The door pops back open and Hinata darts out to grab his sports bag from beside the hotel room door. Kei hears the shower turn on and he sighs.

By the time Hinata is out of the shower and back in the room Kei has changed and is sprawled on the bed scrolling through his phone, updating the group chats on how the game was and what it was like and what it’s like being there in general.

“Kuroo gave me your spare key,” Hinata says quietly has he sits near Kei’s hip. “We’re free until tomorrow around eleven.”

Kei hums and shifts to press his hip against Hinata. Hinata doesn’t get quiet like this too often. Kei can only think of a handful of times in the last few years he’s seen him this way. Hinata never seems to want to talk about it and Kei respects that. He’s never pushed and honestly never really thought much about it once Hinata leaves. Because Hinata never leaves his side until he feels better when he’s like this.

But he feels like the clock is ticking. They only have so much time before Hinata will be pulled away and Kei doesn’t want this to be the first time Hinata leaves him feeling whatever it is he’s feeling.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” Hinata shakes his head and hunches his shoulders a little. “Was there somewhere you wanted to go?” Hinata shakes his head again and hunches even more. “Hinata?” Hinata curls forward with a sob and Kei sits up in alarm. “Shouyou. What is it?”

Hinata sobs again and Kei pulls him into his lap, wrapping him in a hug and settling his chin on Hinata’s head as Hinata sobs into his chest.

He doesn’t say anything else. Doesn’t ask anything. Doesn’t say nonsensical soothing words. He just holds Hinata and lets him sob.

Hinata is an emotional being who wears his heart on his sleeve most of the time and Kei, well, Kei isn’t exactly widely known for sharing his emotions well. But he holds Hinata tight and hopes that Hinata understands all the things he’s not saying.

Eventually Hinata quiets and sniffles and tucks his face against Kei’s neck with a watery sigh.

“There’s just so much,” Hinata whispers against Kei’s neck. 

Kei hums and hugs Hinata tighter for a moment.

“I mean we talked about it a little. I know you knew it was going to be a whole new level.”

  
“I did. I mean I knew there would be. But still. So many people. So much noise. So much pressure. I mean it’s not just people back home watching us. There are people all across the world. The whole world Kei! And they’re watching us. Watching me. And I just wanted to talk to you and get changed and go get food with Bokuto and Asahi and Iwaizumi and the others. I got stopped four times just trying to get into the hotel! I came up through the back stairs just so I wouldn’t run into anyone. I know I told you we’d go do a ton of stuff together while you were here and make it worth your while to come watch me but if this is what it’s going to be like I don’t know. I don’t want to drag you into that cause that’s the kind of shit I know you hate and I can deal with the interviews and stuff. I’m used to that. But all of this?”

They sit there a little longer, both lost in their own thoughts, until Kei takes a deep breath and pulls back just enough to look down and see Hinata’s face.

“If you want to go out and do stuff we can. If you just want to play your games and do your practices and your press interviews and stuff and then come back to my hotel room and watch movies or play board games we can. I don’t really have a soft spots for crowds anyway. If you want to hang with the others I’m sure they’d be more than okay with just piling into someone’s room somewhere. You know that neither Asahi nor Keiji are all that big on crowds either.”

Hinata searches his expression for a minute and then gives him a shy smile. “You really don’t think they’d mind?”

“Not at all. We’re not here for the crowds and the experience or whatever. We’re all here for you guys. We’re here for our friends and teammates and if supporting them means we crash in a hotel room in our pajamas watching scary movies and eating shitty popcorn then that’s what we do.”

Hinata nods and then tucks himself back against Kei’s neck.

“That sounds nice. Do you think tonight we could just. Stay here?”

“Gee do I want to avoid crowds and Kuroo making an idiot out of himself and drawing unnecessary attention to us? Let me think.”

The laugh he gets for that isn’t quite the level he would like it to be. But it’s a start.

He has all night after all.

—

The two weeks seem to go by in a blur for Kei and he can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like for Hinata and the others. A dream come true, no doubt, and a rush of emotions. 

He spends most of his time with Hinata. They do hang with the others every couple of days but a lot of the time it’s just them. Watching movies in Kei’s hotel room. Playing board games and card games. They go out shopping one day. Hinata in one of Kei’s hoodies that seems huge on him, hood pulled up to cover his bright hair. It’s actually an enjoyable day and they wind up buying souvenirs for any and everyone they can think of, wandering around with their arms filled with bags of gifts. Kei buys a keychain of Hinata’s National team jersey and buries it deep in his bag when Hinata isn’t looking. It’s small and sentimental and if nothing else it’s a nice reminder of his time here. Of his time spent with Hinata.

When Hinata is at practice or press events or team meetings Kei will spend part of the day in his room relaxing and then eventually one of the others drags him somewhere. He and Kuroo go jogging a few mornings. He and Keiji wander through an aquarium one day. He and Asahi wind up on a video call with half of Karasuno a couple times and wander around the town showing them what it’s like.

Then before he knows it it’s the night before the last game and Hinata is curled up next to him on his bed. He really should be with his team but Iwaizumi had taken one look at him and told him to go find somewhere he’d actually be able to sleep and just to make sure his ass was back before warm ups the next day. Apparently next to Kei is somewhere he can sleep.

They don’t talk much. Kei reads his book and Hinata scrolls through stuff on his phone before he finally just tosses it onto the bedside table and and buries his face into Kei’s stomach. Kei drops his hand to run his fingers through Hinata’s hair and keeps reading.

“Whenever you’re tired just go to sleep,” Kei says. “I’ll take care of the lights and stuff.” Hinata hums and nuzzles into Kei’s stomach. “I always thought you were like a little yippy puppy. But you’re just a lazy little cat.” Hinata makes a vague hissing sound and Kei laughs. “No wonder you and Kuroo have always gotten along so well.”

This time Hinata laughs and Kei hums in question.

“For the longest time I didn’t really like him.”

“Kuroo?”

“Yeah. I mean I respected him. He’s an awesome player and he taught me a lot at that camp. But for awhile I kind of hated him.”

“What? Why?” He lets out a confused huff. “I mean I know he can be a bit much sometimes but—”

“Because I thought you liked him,” Hinata says softly. “And I hated the fact that you paid him attention and listened to him and practiced with him and focused so much on him and not—”

He waits a few breaths. “And not you?” he asks when Hinata doesn’t continue.

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t want to admit it for the longest time but no matter how much my attention strayed to everyone else it was always you in the end that it came back to. You pushed me and challenged me and made me determined to try and keep trying. And I hated it sometimes but looking back I can appreciate it. Tadashi may have been the one to yell at me at that camp but you were the one who kept forcing me to look at myself in the mirror and face my issues and insecurities.”

“Kageyama may have been my loudest rivalry.”

“May have been?” He can’t help but tease and Hinata pinches his side in retaliation.

“Hush. He may have been my loudest rivalry but never doubt that you were right there too. I could never slack because you were always right behind me with those long legs ready to overpass me at a moment’s notice.”

“And now you just have him.”

Hinata props himself up on Kei’s stomach and pushes his book flat until he can meet Kei’s eyes.

“I always have you. Now you just challenge and push and support me in different ways.” He swallows and bites his lip before continuing. “And I hope you know that you always have me.”

Kei licks his lips and stares into Hinata’s eyes. He does that a lot, he realizes suddenly. But who could blame him? There might as well be galaxies in those eyes they way they sparkle and enrapture him.

“I know,” he whispers eventually. “Go to sleep. You’ve got a game tomorrow.”

Hinata smiles up and him and flops back down, using Kei’s stomach as a pillow.

  
  


He doesn’t remember falling asleep but when he wakes up he’s alone in bed and he’s a little disappointed until he realizes Hinata is just in the shower. They still have a little bit of time before Hinata has to leave to warm up for the game. Kei pokes through the basket of fruit they had bought a couple days ago until he finds an apple that looks good. He has it halfway gone and nearly chokes on his next bite when Hinata comes out of the bathroom in one of Kei’s Karasuno jackets. One of the ones from their 3rd year judging by the fact that it has his name stitched on the front of it. He doesn’t even remember packing that jacket. In fact he doesn’t even remember the last time he saw that jacket.

Hinata looks up at the distressed noise he makes and then looks down at what he’s wearing.

“Oh shit,” Hinata mutters. “I, uh, borrowed it one of the times I stopped by and forgot to return it?”

Kei has to clear his throat a few times before he can reply with a choked out, “It’s fine.”

Hinata sits on the end of the bed and draws his knee up so he can prop his chin on it and watch Kei as he finishes his apple. He’s already dressed and ready to go. Once Hinata leaves he’ll head over to Keiji’s room and they’ll meet the others and head for the stadium. He tosses his apple core into the trash and looks at Hinata.

“You ready to kick ass?”

Hinata laughs. “I’m nervous.”

“Understandable.”

Hinata’s phone chimes and he takes a deep breath. Kei stands and stretches and when he looks down Hinata is watching him with those wide eyes. He smiles and opens his arms. Hinata nearly knocks him over with the force of his hug. His phone chimes again and he sighs.

“I have to go. If I am late for this I am pretty sure Iwaizumi will, in fact, murder me. And the rest of the team will help.” Kei hugs him tight for just a second longer and then lets go. Hinata pulls away and grabs his bag, slipping into his shoes and sending a message, presumably to Iwaizumi letting him know he’s on his way.

His hand is on the doorknob when Kei clears his throat and Hinata looks up a him. “You got this. Remember. You’re Hinata Shouyou. Nothing can stop you.”

Hinata beams at him and opens the door. “Thank you,” he says from the open doorway as he walks backwards through it. “I really don’t know how I would have survived these couple weeks without you here with me. Thank you for taking time off work and coming here and everything. Even if you didn’t get to go out and see much.”

“Shouyou,” Kei scoffs. “I didn’t come here because it’s the Olympics. I came here for you.”

“I know.” Hinata’s phone chimes again and he growls a little. “I just. It means a lot.”

“I know. But I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Now go! You’ve got a game to win. Good luck.”

“Okay. I’m going. Bye!”

“I love you. Goodbye.”

Hinata’s face goes bright red and Kei’s heart nearly stops. Hinata’s phone chimes once again and he looks down at it and then sprint down the hallway.

“We’re talking later Tsukishima!” he yells over his shoulder.

  
  


Twenty minutes later Keiji answers his door, takes one look at Kei, and just laughs at him.

“What did you do?”

Kei stares blankly at Keiji and then shakes his head.

“I told Hinata that I love him.”

“About damn time,” is all Keiji says on the topic.


	13. playing for keeps

Kei stares out the window of the bus.

He’s a coward.

He’s such a coward.

They’d gone to the game and, thankfully, Keiji hadn’t said a word to anyone else about what Kei had said to Shouyou. Shouyou had met his eyes before the game, like he had every other time, and waved. Kei had waved back. It was an amazing game but Kei couldn’t recall a single actual moment of it other than the way Shouyou had looked. The way he had focused. The way he had moved. Their eyes had met once more before the game was over and Kei’s lungs had stopped working. For that brief moment he had every last ounce of Shouyou’s focus on him and for the first time in years it had unsettled him.

He barely remembers the game ending. He had told Keiji he needed to go back to the hotel to grab something before they met up with the others.

He went back to the hotel, packed his things, and left.

And now he’s on a bus back towards his childhood home.

He’s such a fucking coward. He told Shouyou he loved him and now he’s running home. Literally all the way back home.

His mother is happy to see him and greets him with a tight hug. The smile she gives him lets him know that she knows something happened but she’s not going to push it. Not yet anyway.

He drags himself upstairs to his old bedroom and collapses onto the bed.

He wakes up a couple hours later, sweaty and panting from a nightmare. He doesn’t remember most of it but the hurt, disappointed look in Shouyou’s eyes burns into his brain, following him from his sleep easily. He’s never actually seen Shouyou looking like that, least of all looking at him like that, but he can imagine it easy enough and he hates how much it hurts.

But it’s his own fault.

He digs into his bag and pulls out his phone. He hasn’t answered it at all. He turned it off after he called his mother and said he was coming for a visit when he left the hotel and he hasn’t even turned it back on. He knew that Shouyou would be calling him as soon as he realized Kei wasn’t with Keiji and the others and he was too chicken shit to talk to him and he knew there was no way he could just ignore the phone ringing. He hasn’t willingly ignored one of Shouyou’s calls for over two years. Not that just shutting his phone off and ignoring everyone is any better.

He groans and turns his phone on. He doesn’t even look at his missed calls or messages or notifications. He just clears them all and puts his phone on do not disturb. This way he at least has it for emergencies. He does send a message to Tadashi telling him that he’s alive and okay he just can’t talk to anyone right now. Tadashi will pass the message on.

For now Kei just needs away. Away from everyone and everything and away from being an adult and feelings and all that shit.

So he helps his mother around the house. Works on the garden with her. Does some small repairs she’s been meaning to get to but never can. He spends three days holed up with her before he starts to feel antsy.

“Kei, sweetheart?”

He looks up from cabinet he’s been helping organize and smiles at her. “Yes mother?”

She smiles back at him and ruffles his hair. “I’m not sure what’s been going on and you don’t have to tell me. But I wanted to let you know that Tadashi will be over shortly. He’s dropping some stuff off from his mother. I don’t know if you’ll want to be here or not.”

“Oh,” he says softly. Does he want to be here? Is he ready to face one of the few people in his life he can’t lie to and who isn’t afraid to call him on his bullshit?

“If you want to talk to me you can. But if not that’s alright.” She steps over and bends to press a kiss to the top of his head. It’s been awhile since she’s done that and it makes him want to curl up in her lap and spill all his secrets. “You do whatever you need to do.”

He nods and she ruffles his hair again before stepping away.

“Thank you mother.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” She smiles warmly at him. “Take a jacket with you in case you’re out after dark. It’s been cool at night.”

He flushes and looks away. “I will.”

“I love you sweetheart.”

“I love you too.”

The words sit in his throat as he slips out of the house and takes a shortcut away from the neighborhood. They’re ashy and thick and make his throat itch. Something so simple and so true. Yet they can cause so much pain and doubt.

He doesn’t even know why he panicked after saying it to Shouyou. It was true. It is true. He loves Hinata Shouyou. Has for awhile now and it’s not like Shouyou minded. Shouyou’s probably loved him longer than he even realizes. So why did he freak out?

He stares at the sky and just walks with no real destination in mind.

He’s not surprised when he finds himself standing outside the gym at Karasuno.

Why did he panic so badly?

He scuffs the toe of his shoe against the dirt and looks at the door to the gym. So many memories right here. Not even on the court. Just near it. Laughter and tears and arguments. Joy and sorrow.

Why did he run?

His gaze drifts towards the club room and he sees a stray volleyball sitting under the steps. He wanders over and picks it up. Spins it in his hands and feels the familiar bumps and creases. He can’t even begin to imagine the number of times he’s spun a ball just like this. While talking to his teammates. While waiting for practice to start. Idly passing the time until they left for a game or camp.

Why did he leave Shouyou?

He sits down in the grass, mind drifting. He stares at the gym door without really seeing it as he starts tossing the ball in the air above his head and catching it. Just trying to sort things out.

Toss. He loves Shouyou. 

Catch. He’s not freaked out by it at all. He’s admitted that he’s loved him to himself for awhile now.

Toss. No one that he knows is bothered by this. 

Catch. Most of them have been pushing him to confess for awhile.

Toss. Some of them have been pushing him for years. 

Catch. Except Shouyou. Shouyou has never pushed about this.

Toss. So why did he run? 

Catch. Why did he panic?

Toss. Something he wants was right in front of him. 

Catch. Why didn’t he take it?

Toss. He’s wanted and dreamed about this for years. 

Catch. Why did he run at the chance to make it real?

Toss. Shit. He made it real already didn’t he?

That’s why he ran. That’s why he panicked. That’s why he—

Wait. He looks up when he realizes he never caught the ball and then spins around to see where it went only to freeze. Shouyou is standing a few steps away from him, ball propped on his hip. He has no idea how Shouyou found him.

It doesn’t really matter though does it? Shouyou will always find him. Always break into his mind when he’s doubting himself. Always be there.

“You know,” Shouyou says casually. “Something that always pissed me off about you in high school was that no matter what you were always so calm. Calm and collected people always irritated me.” His words are serious but his gaze is playful and something tugs at Kei’s memory. Some throwaway insult that he tries to remember as he studies Shouyou’s face.

It’s only been a few days but he feels like he hasn’t seen Shouyou in months. He’s already been missing the curve of his cheek and the curl of his lip and the way his hair is long enough to fall into his eyes when he tilts his head just so. He misses the light in Shouyou’s eyes and the way he looks at Kei. The way he’s always so bubbly and vibrant and he can get riled up so easily that sometimes all Kei has to do is raise his eyebrows and it sets Shouyou off.

Oh.

Shouyou looks at him expectantly.

“Yeah, well, uselessly hot blooded people irritate me. So I suppose we’re even.”

A smile slides onto Shouyou’s face and Kei knows that no matter how the next few minutes play out they’ll be okay.

“I have so many other ways to irritate you than just being hot blooded.”

The sparkle in Shouyou’s eyes as he slowly walks towards Kei makes his stomach swoop. That moment of what if I fall washes over him when Shouyou is only a step away.

“That’s true. But, uh, clearly I’m not as calm and collected as I act.”

Shouyou huffs a laugh. “Clearly.” He tosses the ball into Kei’s lap. “Did you mean it?”

What if I fall what if I fall what if I leap and I fall and I crash?

What if I don’t? What if I fly?

“I’m not in the habit of saying things I don’t mean. Especially not to you, Shouyou.”

Shouyou squats down in front of him and it should feel ridiculous but it doesn’t. Because Shouyou’s face is right there and he’s smiling and his eyes are so bright and filled with emotion and—

“Good. Because I love you too, you big dumb tree.” He sways towards Shouyou and their noses brush. “Hey, Kei?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes.” The word is barely out of his mouth before his breath is stolen away by the gentle press of Shouyou’s lips against his.

“Hey, Kei?” Shouyou whispers again, breathless.

“Yeah?” Kei’s just as winded, just as wrecked.

“Can I keep you?”

“I’ve been yours for years now.”

“I know,” Shouyou murmurs. “I just like hearing it finally.”

He smiles against Shouyou’s lips and pulls him into another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to come yell at me over on [tumblr ](http://ezzydean.tumblr.com)


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